


eight hugs a day (keep the doctor away)

by tuanpark



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempt at Humor, Coffee Shops, Couch Cuddles, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hugs, Humor, Hwang Hyunjin is Whipped, M/M, Rated T for Trashmouth, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Strangers to Lovers, recreational alcohol use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26571511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuanpark/pseuds/tuanpark
Summary: Seungmin didn’t want to argue. “Look, can you help me or not? I’m just trying to relieve some stress here, man.”Hyunjin seemed deep in thought. “I can’t help you if you don’t want to hug… But tell you what! We can work up to it. Start small and work our way up to one. Free of charge!”Or Seungmin is a stressed college student, and Hyunjin is a self-proclaimed hug therapist.
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin
Comments: 43
Kudos: 228
Collections: EQUINOX, skz





	eight hugs a day (keep the doctor away)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Please give my work a chance and show it lots of love. This is totally unedited, so I apologize for all the mistakes. 
> 
> _Prompt #042_
> 
> _hyunjin's job is quite... unconventional to say the least. he is considered a therapist, and quite a good one, but he doesn't talk much to his clients. instead, he is a hug therapist. and one of his clients has greatly exceeded the normal number of visits. (you know how you're "supposed" to get 8 hugs a day? that's kinda where this idea came from)_
> 
> _therapist hyunjin and pining seungmin ig? fluff. jeongsung if possible. cuddly bois, that's all_
> 
> To the person who prompted this, I'm sorry for straying away from the prompt. It started off the way you wanted, but then it got out of control and this monster happened. Hopefully, you are not disappointed!
> 
> To the mods of the EQUINOX Seungjin Fic Fest, thank you so much! Your efforts are greatly appreciated. Hopefully, this can become a yearly thing because if it does, I will be here writing for it.
> 
> Thank you so much! Please show my work lots of love.

What would Kim Seungmin say about this morning?

 _Holy crap_ to start.

Seungmin always figured that his life was a chain of anticlimaxes. It was in the way he passed each and every exam he’d ever taken with flying colors. In the way he was nominated and won class presidency in all of his high school years. In the way he, despite having romantic feelings for a few people, never bothered to pursue those emotions or ever found out if they were reciprocated. Perhaps the closest situation that could be considered at all climactic was how his parents, although never signing divorce papers, so obviously lost their love and respect for each other that every week, even every day, were simply hours filled with icy silence and cold shoulders.

Perhaps that last point had a direct correlation with his disinterest in romantic relationships and, in extension, physical contact.

Oh, there was that one time a helicopter crashed in the apartment complex he lived in, but that didn’t personally affect him, so he’s not sure if that counts.

In any case, none of his days were as chaotic as the one happening now.

On an aggravatingly cold morning in the Seodaemun District of Seoul, Seungmin was holding onto two large cups of iced coffee with enough shots of espresso to put anyone into an insomniac state. The catch was that the caffeinated drinks were not for him but for one of the customers who seemed to be running on two hours of sleep.

“Two Iced Americano with four extra shots!” Seungmin called from the counter. Amongst the throngs of sleep-deprived college students came one with bags deeper than the Mariana Trench. He had come here more times than Seungmin could count. The boy thanked him and immediately started gulping down one of the cups, oblivious to the glowers and glares that were sent his way.

Not that he wanted to, but Seungmin could watch him no longer as he had a dozen other drinks to catch up on. It was ridiculous how Midterm Season stretched from the third week of classes all the way to the week before finals. What was even more ridiculous was that, in the days between, Seungmin became a master at making caffeinated beverages. This was evident in how he held a cup of milk in front of the frothing machine as he poured cold brew on a different cup with the other. However, his skills abandoned him today as he realized what was going to happen before it did.

Seungmin cursed as the paper cup slipped from his hands. It fell to the ground with a soft thud. The floor was now coffee. Splattered with the dark liquid, Seungmin grumbled to the janitor’s closet and haphazardly mopped the wasted drink to the nearest drain. He couldn’t afford to squander too much time cleaning as the number of beverages he had to finish was quickly piling up.

From somewhere to his side, Jeongin’s voice chimed in like background music, and Seungmin wondered if the younger was faring any better.

Yang Jeongin was Seungmin’s coworker turned close friend. Though he looked harmless with his bright eyes and brilliant smiles, Jeongin was a literal demon. Okay, not a _literal_ demon, but if there was anyone Seungmin would bet money on being a hellspawn, Yang Jeongin would be at the top of the list. 

Maybe that was why Seungmin had an inexplicable affinity to him.

Jeongin was the usual cashier during Seungmin’s work hours. One of the young man’s favorite pastimes was definitely throwing half-hearted insults at Seungmin. He hurled a particularly good one just a few weeks after he started which had rendered Seungmin speechless. It was rare that someone snatched the upper hand from Seungmin, and from then on, it became unquestionable to Seungmin that Jeongin was one of a kind. Another habit of his was evading Seungmin’s healthy mix of affectionate words and verbal assault like he was a star from the Karate Kid, physically waxing on and off every time Seungmin scooted closer to commence his attack. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Seungmin enjoyed Jeongin’s company. It made the workday fly by much faster.

However, their usual banter wasn’t at play today. While Seungmin was busy making drinks, Jeongin was suffering from an endless line of orders. And though the younger’s lips were kind in greeting and vocally thankful in every exchange, Seungmin knew the words in his brain were a direct contrast to the ones coming out of his mouth.

This was proven true an hour later when the traffic had significantly died down and the customers left were the regular folks who stayed in the university cafe for what seemed like all hours of the day.

“Yeah, and he even had the audacity to act short with me when he was the one who kept cutting me off whenever I tried to answer his questions,” Jeongin huffed in exasperation as he tailed the elder.

“Dick move,” Seungmin agreed, fixing the display of pastries for something to do. “I can’t believe he asked where the coffee beans came from and how they were roasted.”

“I would have answered him too if he just had the patience to be quiet for one second.”

“Coffee snobs, my dude. Starbucks, local coffee shops, hipster cafes... nothing you can do to escape them. They drive you crazy and mocha you mad!”

Jeongin blinked.

“Did you just…?”

Seungmin neither confirmed nor denied, lips shut.

“Embarrassing, dear.”

After Jeongin finished complaining, Seungmin began his tirade of how the university was practically a scam. And how he has two midterms today, an essay due before the week ends, and another exam at the start of next week. He made sure not to skip the fact that he learned by teaching himself and not from the useless lectures by the professors. Lectures, as Seungmin noticed in his first semester of college last year, were a near-perfect regurgitation of the textbooks. They were an expensive set of Powerpoint slides for sure.

Just as he was ranting about how stressful it was to be a Business Administration and Law double major, a new rush came in. And that was the last proper conversation they had until their shifts ended just right after noon, complete with several order mistakes and one other game of The Floor is Coffee, much to Seungmin’s dismay.

Jeongin always had class after work, and Seungmin’s schedules aligned so perfectly that workdays never coincided with school days. He was particularly picky in his calendar like that. Before they parted ways though, the younger acknowledged Seungmin’s reasons for being stressed and overflowed with tension.

“But you know I don’t like physical contact,” Seungmin said worriedly.

“I’m well aware of your distaste for the occasional hug,” Jeongin rolled his eyes. “Trust me on this though. When I went there, I felt instantly better. Like a whole world lighter.”

“I don’t know…” Seungmin bit his lips. However, one glance at Jeongin and his accurate portrayal of the pleading face emoji was enough to wear down the reluctance inside Seungmin. “I suppose I could give it a try?”

“Perfect!” Jeongin grinned and clapped his hands. Seungmin was no less than a fool. “I’ll text you the location. See you on Thursday!”

Jeongin skipped away before Seungmin could utter another word.

A few minutes later, Seungmin received a message.

 _From: Devil Jeong Incarnate_ _  
__Fifth floor of the Cognitive Science Building. Room #5008._

And then another.

 _From: Devil Jeong Incarnate_ _  
__Anytime between 1 to 3 pm_ _  
__The Hug Hub_

Seungmin pursed his lips as he read and reread the last line. The Hug Hub?

What the f-

✧✧✧

For someone of his intelligence, one would think Seungmin would have a good sense of direction. Unsurprisingly, they’d be correct! Just more proof that Seungmin’s life had been forgettably uneventful thus far. Even when much of his brain has been scrambled like an egg by a barrage of supernumerary information, he could still easily tell north from south and east from west.

It hadn’t failed him before, and it didn’t fail him two days later when he made the decision to go to The Hug Hub. Exactly after his Thursday morning shift with Jeongin, Seungmin hesitantly made his way to the Cognitive Science Building.

Seungmin didn’t know what he was expecting, but this was definitely not it. This was perhaps the most eccentric room he had ever been in his life, surpassing even the one his uncle and his uncle’s partner currently lived in. And that was saying something. From what he could tell, the original purpose of the room was to be an office, but this room strayed incredibly and questionably far from that. The solid aquamarine walls clashed with the vivid yellow frames that hung on them. Pictures of people hugging, snuggling, cuddling, and kissing littered each side of the wall. It was uncomfortable for Seungmin to see, but with a little effort he managed to avoid looking at them and was able to focus on the other decor instead.

Posters that advocated for physical contact were taped all around with quotes like _8 hugs a day keep the doctor away!_ and _The best place in the world is inside a hug._ There were also ones that promoted consent, the largest one being _No Means No!_ The carpet was an awful shade of orange and looked as if it would stain as soon as Seungmin stepped on it. In fact, Seungmin was pretty certain he could see a large blotch of discoloration on the edge of it already. On the far side was a lime green bean bag that was large enough to sit on. What seemed most out of place was the metal file cabinet hidden at the corner. Its monotonous gray was countered by the pink fuzz that decorated the handles and the stickers stuck on the side in abundance. A sofa patterned with patches of brightly-colored squares sat against one side of the room while a wooden desk stood at the other. On the table were paperwork held down by a tiny, armless statue that Seungmin immediately identified as Venus de Milo. 

The last thing Seungmin noticed was the little black and bronze ponytail of a person sitting on a swivel chair. The chair was by the desk facing away from him, and just as Seungmin was about to speak, it slowly turned to reveal a boy. A very, very pretty boy. The type of pretty boy that breaks people’s hearts without knowing about it. His skin looked smooth to touch, eyelashes long even from this distance. Strands of his hair ran down to his nose, the back of it almost touching his shoulders. His eyes were wide in shock, as if he didn’t expect anyone to be here at this time. His wrists looked delicate as his long fingers held up a potato chip to his mouth, lips thick as his tongue licked one side of it.

“Hello!” With a blink, he turned the potato chip to the other side and lapped at it once as he did earlier before tossing the whole thing into his mouth and catching it with a crunch.

“Uhm.” What the fuck? Did this guy just lick off the flavor of the potato chip before eating it? Seungmin was speechless. This was too much, he thought, as he slowly backed away to the entrance. “The… door was open. But, uhh, I think I went into the wrong- err, excuse me.”

“Oh! I know you!” The boy exclaimed just as Seungmin was turning to flee.

That couldn’t be right, could it? Nobody _knew_ Seungmin other than his roommate Jisung and his coworker Jeongin. Seungmin twisted back with an incredulous look. “You do?”

“Of course!” The weirdo boy said, licking his fingers clean and dusting his hands together as he stood up. “You’re Kim Seungmin, right?”

This should have been the second red flag. The first was scraping the flavor off both sides of the potato chip before eating it. While Seungmin also had his odd habits, nothing was quite as outlandish as this. Instead, it only intrigued Seungmin despite being a little uneasy with how this random stranger somehow knew his full name.

“H-How do you know me exactly?”

The stranger smiled with his hands folded in front of him, the corners of his teeth rounded and looking as nonthreatening as possible. He gestured at the couch with a palm. “Please sit.”

Just as Seungmin was about to actually enter and walk towards the couch, he turned on his heel, blurted an “I have to go” before scurrying away to the other’s pleas of “Wait! Don’t go yet!”

Seungmin didn’t even do so much as look back as he sped walked towards the stairs and quickly made his way out of the Cognitive Science building. Fucking Jeongin. What 1980s, weirdo-infested, color-clashing, hippie hellhole did he recommend Seungmin to go to? He was never trusting that bug-eyed, hobbit coworker of his again.

Correction: _that_ was the most climactic thing that happened in his life thus far.

✧✧✧

In the days ahead, Seungmin refused to listen to Jeongin’s pleas.

“But why not?” The younger asked, whipping up a fancy latte and practicing his foam art. “You said yourself you were stressed. I really think this can help you relax some. And! You might get over your fear of human touch.”

“Shush it,” Seungmin rolled his eyes. “It’s not a fear. I just think there are better, comfier, less germ-transmissive ways to display fondness towards another person. And that includes verbal affection. For example, this is me saying I love you: you’re annoying.”

Jeongin turned to him, playfully teary-eyed. “You tell me that every time we work together. You really do love me!”

Just as Seungmin was about to use more colorful words to indicate exactly how deeply he regarded Jeongin, the younger boy let out a gasp and started ducking out of sight.

“Oh no. They’re here again,” Jeongin whispered.

Baffled at the reaction, Seungmin peeked at the entrance. Sure enough, there was his roommate strutting in with the new emo buddy he befriended this semester. The same buddy that Jisung had been trying to set Seungmin up with for the last three or four weeks. Overaccessorized and feet heavy with boots half his size, Han Jisung waved at Seungmin and smiled. With a spring to his step, he made his way to the counter with his friend in tow.

“Morning, Seung!” Jisung grinned, making himself comfortable on the countertop.

“Awake before noon? This is a surprise.” Seungmin deadpanned.

“Good one, roomie!” Jisung laughed. Until now, Seungmin wasn’t sure whether his laughter was sarcastic or he truly thought it was a funny comment. Seungmin leaned on the latter because Jisung was unusual like that. “Anyway, where’s the cutie pie?”

“Right here,” Seungmin answered, staring his roommate dead in the eye. Jisung couldn’t help but snort. His buddy beside him released a choking noise.

“I meant the _other_ cutie pie,” Jisung winked. Seungmin tried not to throw up in his mouth a little.

Seungmin bumped Jeongin with his knee a couple of times until the boy budged with a squawk. Rising slowly from his hiding spot, Seungmin held Jeongin by the back of this collar like one would to a kitten. Jeongin waved at the two men and winced.

"Right _here_."

“Awh,” Jisung cooed. “Were you hiding because your heart races every time I get too close?”

“Uhm, yeah.”

“What?” Seungmin chirped just as Jisung went, “Wait, really?”

“Yes, my blood boils every time I see you.”

Jisung held his heart with both hands, eyes downcast as he feigned being in pain. “You wound me. Don’t be like this.”

Seungmin sighed. “Okay, enough with the flirting-masked-as-insults. You’re both making me nauseous.”

“I wasn’t flirting,” Jeongin muttered to himself.

“Well aren’t you Mr. Poopy Pants? What’s gotten into you?” Jisung faced Seungmin.

Before Seungmin had a chance to speak, Jeongin butted in and bumped him on the shoulder. Perhaps deserved considering Seungmin did it to him earlier with his knees.

“He’s been stressed lately so I’ve been pestering him to do something about it.”

“Stressed?! Roomie! Why didn’t you tell me? I would have dropped you off at the university Puppy Petting Club,” Jisung remarked with sincerity. “Either that or The Hug Hub!”

Seungmin and Jeongin did a double-take.

“No,” Seungmin groaned. “Not you too.”

“You’ve been there? I told him to go there too. I keep telling him that hugs are proven to be therapeutic, but he won’t listen.”

“Good idea, cutie pie!” Jisung complimented, and Seungmin had to hold Jeongin back from hopping over the counter and knocking Jisung out right then and there. “I think you’ll get on with one of my friends there. Tell me, roomie: do you like your men beefy, bright-eyed, or bizarre? I can hook you up.”

Just as Seungmin was about to answer, Jisung’s friend made a pained noise and whacked him on the elbow. There was an awkward silence before Seungmin realized the two were having a conversation with just their eyes. What was going on here?

“Never mind what I said about hooking you up, roomie.”

“Uh, thanks. But I didn’t ask for it, so it’s completely fine.”

Jisung smirked at him before adding, “You’ve met my friend Bang Chan, right? He’s one of the many DJs at the university radio station. He loves music as much as he loves dark clothing and working out. His biceps are also- ow.”

The friend, Bang Chan if Seungmin remembered correctly, was beaming at him as if he didn’t just slap Seungmin’s roommate just a second ago.

“Hi! You can just call me Chan.”

Seungmin noted that Chan had some very adorable dimples. “Hi. I’m Seungmin. Nice to finally meet you.”

“Pleasure to finally meet you too! I heard a lot about you from Jisung. Apparently, he said you’re into singing?”

As they shook hands, Seungmin made the mistake of looking at Jisung who was wiggling his eyebrows in a you-should-totally-take-him-out manner. The situation dawned on him, and Seungmin refrained from giving Jisung the stink eye. Instead, he rearranged his face to the most impassive expression he could muster.

“Yes, I am. What can I get for you today?”

Jeongin covered his laughter by faking a cough. Jisung’s eyes widened into saucers, and Seungmin would have made fun of him if he wasn’t distracted with Chan. For his sake, the DJ was masking his disappointment by closing his lips and reading the menu above as if he was browsing. Seungmin felt bad, but he had to make sure that it was crystal clear that he wasn’t looking for anything right now. At least not anything serious.

A relationship, if Seungmin dove into one right now, could either be a good distraction from the shitshow he calls his life, a great step towards his peculiar distaste for physical contact, or it would burn them both down and wear them out. And with two majors, a part-time job, and a couple of exceptionally controlling parents, Seungmin had no time to worry about a relationship being added into the mix.

Perhaps if it was only a casual relationship? That may be able to help relieve his stress. Looking at Chan though, who seemed to be a couple of years older than him, Seungmin figured that the man wasn’t looking for a fling but something that ventured closer to a serious relationship.

Chan ordered a regular coffee, black -- bitter and simplistic. Jisung favored a drink on the other end of the spectrum, opting for a large white blended mocha with a caramel drizzle. Seungmin wanted to cry for Jisung’s teeth.

They had little time to talk since after Jisung ordered, groups of people entered and it was hell from then on. Jisung and Chan were already gone by the time Seungmin and Jeongin’s shifts ended. Despite this, Seungmin had more than ten messages from Jisung ordering him to go to The Hug Hub _or else_. Though Seungmin was certain that the threat was empty, he didn’t want to take the risk, even when he knew he could overpower Jisung if that was what it came down to.

Perhaps he was only looking for reasons to go back, just not of his own accord.

In any case, Seungmin took the familiar route to the Cognitive Science Building after giving Jeongin the finger goodbye.

On his way, he stopped by to get a sandwich. Tuna because people never really ordered those, and Seungmin wanted to make sure each meat received the love they deserved, even if that love meant being melted by stomach acid. As soon as Seungmin finished his lunch, he brushed his teeth in the closest bathroom. Never comment about how unusual it is to carry a spare toothbrush and mini toothpaste in his backpack. Tell that to his perfect, sparkly teeth. Seventeen years of being cavity-free sure made for healthy gums.

Having cavities at three years old was already plenty scary for him, never mind that his parents warned him about how his teeth will all fall off by the time he turned fifteen since he had cavities. No, that obviously wasn’t true. Yes, he definitely inherited his parents’ habit of lying.

Seungmin shook his head and made his way to the fifth floor of the building.

Just ten minutes past 1:00 pm, roughly the same minute he entered this 80s hippie hellhole on the same day last week. The purple door was still left ajar like last time. It truly stuck out like a sore thumb among the white walls and stone gray metal doors that lined up this hall.

When Seungmin entered, it was much of the same. The same aquamarine walls and yellow frames. The same bright orange carpet and lime green bean bag. Even the same pretty boy with the same black and bronze hair messily done in a ponytail. Perhaps the only difference is the flavor of chips he was eating.

A gentle knock on the door took the stranger by surprise. Swinging around on the swivel chair, the boy had his hand around his heart as if he had just experienced the worst scare of his life. Not minding the dramatic antics, Seungmin waved. “Hello.”

“You came back!” The weird guy exclaimed, placing the bag of potato chips onto the desk. “Didn’t think you would.”

“Didn’t think I would either,” Seungmin said under his breath.

“What was that?”

“I said ‘What is this place?’” Seungmin held onto the straps of his backpack.

Clasping his hands in front of him, the boy answered, “I’m glad you asked. Please sit!”

Seungmin surveyed his options. An ugly, multicolored couch or an uncomfortable-looking bean bag. With a sigh, he went with the former.

Once situated, the other began again, “My name is Hwang Hyunjin. I’m a hug therapist and a proud member of The Hug Hub!”

Seungmin tried to be as expressionless as possible. He might have failed because the pretty boy, Hyunjin his name was, pouted.

“It’s a thing. It’s totally a thing. Have you not heard the healing of touch?” Hyunjin replied, eyebrows knitted.

“I’m normal, thanks.”

“Normalcy is overrated. Worry not, pal!” Hyunjin said as he rustled through the pamphlets and papers filed behind him. Seungmin’s _I’m not your pal_ fortunately did not reach the other boy. Hyunjin turned to him and held out a leaflet and what seemed to be a couple of printed articles. “Check these out. Science has absolutely supported the psychological and physical benefits of non-sexual touch. It makes us feel good.”

Always a sucker for scientific evidence, Seungmin took the papers and looked it over.

“When we engage in touch, our brains produce more serotonin and oxytocin,” Hyunjin began with a smile, watching Seungmin like an overexcited hawk. “Those chemicals help keep us happy and calm and contribute a sense of relaxation and well-being to keep us pleasurable and healthy. Engaging in touch also reduces the amount of cortisol we produce. Cortisol is the-”

“Stress hormone, yes. Did you have all that memorized?” Seungmin lifted a brow.

“No!” A pause. “Maybe… But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.”

Seungmin scrunched his nose. “Suppose I believe you. How can you help me? I’ve been stressed because of a bunch of stuff. Two people referred me to this university org. Is The Hug Hub even an org?”

“We are most definitely an org! But we do collect payments whenever we offer our services.”

“You actually make money off this?” asked Seungmin, side-eyeing the pamphlet in his hand.

“You’d be surprised how many people want someone just to cuddle with.”

“You offer cuddling services too?”

“Yes, but it costs extra.” Hyunjin beamed, pointing at the leaflet. “As you can see there, we offer hug sessions for those in need of some touch therapy as well as one-on-one platonic cuddling sessions. We also offer professional, therapeutic hugs to mourners at funerals and wakes. And we also help corporations create happier environments with simple 40-second hug sessions to raise productivity and satisfaction.”

“Right.”

Hyunjin then skipped to Seungmin, brimming with bright energy. Seungmin felt like a vampire staring at the sun. It was only when Hyunjin was right next to him, arms opened out wide like a peacock showing off its tail feathers, did Seungmin realize that pretty boy was a couple of centimeters or so taller than him. 

“So how about it?! Would you like a hug?”

“No, thanks. I’m not a fan of physical contact.”

“That can’t be true, silly,” Hyunjin giggled, gradually pulling his arms in. “Nobody is _not_ a fan of physical contact.”

Seungmin didn’t want to argue. “Look, can you help me or not? I’m just trying to relieve some stress here, man.”

Hyunjin seemed deep in thought. “I can’t help you if you don’t want to hug… But tell you what! We can work up to it. Start small and work our way up to one. Free of charge!”

Not that Seungmin would ever _pay_ for a hug, but he entertained the idea of getting rid of his dislike of physical touch. After all, wouldn’t it be beneficial to his pursuit of happiness to actually be in a relationship? Not that the relationship would be the root of his happiness, but rather, living a stress-free life by having a good distraction from the severity of life.

Glancing at Hyunjin, all big pupils and open personality, Seungmin figured why not. He could learn to be comfortable with hugs and then dip before he had to pay anything. It was a win-win situation for him and a lose-lose situation for this Hyunjin stranger. Seungmin felt a little guilty, but as his parents always said: life isn’t fair.

“Okay, I’ll bite. What do we do?”

The next hour went by slowly. Time always played tricks on Seungmin like that -- slowing down when he was looking forward to something and speeding up when he was dreading an event. In this case, he wanted to escape this colorful hell.

In the minutes between, Seungmin and Hyunjin shook hands. It was a good idea to say the least. Seungmin had many handshakes in his life, some made him uncomfortable and others not. And it wasn’t about his distaste of contact either but rather the demeanor the other cloaked themselves in during that certain action.

The limp, cold fish hands were the worst to shake. Seungmin never knew how to feel about those since they only held their hands in front of them, wilted and flaccid like a lifeless salmon. Seungmin also remembered this one man who, when he shook his hands, Seungmin could feel the other person’s joints behave strangely. As if they were cracking as they tightened their grip.

Hyunjin was far from that. His hands were big, fingers bony and slender and just a bit longer than Seungmin’s. It was not firm the way interview handshakes were. The warmth took Seungmin by surprise. He wondered for a second if Hyunjin had warmed his hands by holding on to a cup of coffee or if his blood really ran in that temperature.

This part of the session was easy enough. They practiced it multiple times, to the point that Seungmin was familiar with the softness and the lines of Hyunjin’s palms. Hyunjin also recommended practicing relaxation techniques.

“Hugs are bad for both people if one person is rigid,” the taller man lectured. The way he said it was reminiscent of a philosopher sharing his ideas.

Perhaps the most boring part was simply taking deep breaths and exhaling.

“But I do that all the time,” Seungmin deadpanned. He rehearsed it nonetheless, breathing evenly and picturing himself leaning in for a hug. Later, he was also told to get the tension out of his arms.

“They’re not tense,” Seungmin complained, presenting his limp arms to the other man. “Look how completely free of tension they are.”

Hyunjin hummed. The strides he made towards Seungmin were quick. His arms were spread-eagled once more. When Seungmin figured Hyunjin was rushing in for a hug, Seungmin immediately put his hands up in defense. Just as he was about to karate chop Hyunjin if he got any closer, the other halted his movements. The distance between them could be counted in centimeters.

“Not full of tension?” Hyunjin teased.

“Fair point,” Seungmin agreed, backing up a couple of steps. “How then should I go about un-tensing myself?”

“Easy! Just consciously tighten your arm muscles, hold the tension for a few seconds, and then let it all go. Do it a couple of times. Your arms will feel more relaxed. You can actually apply this to your whole body when you’re nervous to get rid of the jitters.”

Tighten your arms. Hold the tension. Let it go. After practicing it a couple of times, Seungmin was surprised to note that it felt good. He supposed it was like the process of precipitation, letting the tension condense in his arms and releasing it the way clouds unleash its precious rain.

When their session ended, Seungmin had to admit he was already feeling a little less stressed. On his way out, Hyunjin grinned and waved.

“Have a great day, Seungmin! Will be waiting for you next time. And remember: People need people!”

Seungmin gave him a nod and a wave out of courtesy. They had more drills to exercise before Seungmin could be comfortable with any type of hug. So of course, he was coming back for that reason and that reason only.

He was already outside and quite a ways away from the Cognitive Science Building that Seungmin realized Hyunjin said his name again. How was it that this overly optimistic stranger knew his full name? Seungmin had to demand answers in his future visits.

For now, he had to make his way to the library and work on his readings and homework.

✧✧✧

It was near midnight when Seungmin got back to the dorm. The moon hid behind the clouds. He was grateful that autumn’s chill was not as harsh as winter’s bite. Despite this, he shook off the cold as soon as he entered his room.

As constant as the stars, Jisung was in front of his computer playing games. The backlight of his keyboard lit up the surrounding area in various colors.

“How was it?” Jisung asked, eyes not leaving his character on the screen. “You feel better? Less stressed? Hug yourself to your heart’s content?”

Definitely not the last one. But everything else…

“It was fine.”

This time, Jisung did turn around when he replied, “Wait, for real? Coming from you, that must mean it went incredibly well.”

“Shut up.” Seungmin didn’t deny it. Jisung was nice enough not to push further.

Seungmin found himself practicing the relaxation techniques that Hyunjin taught him as he got ready for bed, clenching and unclenching his fists in time with deep breaths. 

It was the best sleep he’d had in years.

The second visit wasn’t until a few days after. Surprisingly, it was much of the same, similar in structure as the first but with different exercises. Unsurprisingly, Seungmin loathed the session and wished for it to end as soon as possible.

“This isn’t fun at all,” Seungmin complained from where he stood. They had moved past shaking hands and practicing stress-relieving techniques. Instead, what they were doing was stress-inducing. Seungmin supposed it made sense, considering the plethora of quotes that he had heard throughout the years.

Inspirational quotes about how we must confront our fears when we come face to face with them. How fear is nothing more than a state of mind. Or how what didn’t kill us made us stronger. Seungmin was unsure about the last one though, but that was digressing.

“It’s not supposed to be fun,” Hyunjin nagged, way too close for Seungmin comfort. “It’s about conquering your fears one step at a time. In this case, I suppose one body part at a time.”

Seungmin sighed. The theme of their session was working up to it. Obviously, he shouldn’t jump right into bear hugs if he wasn’t a touchy-feely person. Hyunjin was right about taking small steps towards the goal, breaking down the action into smaller steps. And once he was comfortable with that section, move onto the next, more intimidating section. Though Seungmin agreed, he would first be hard-pressed before he would admit it.

These last few minutes, Hyunjin and Seungmin had held each other’s hand. No, not in that hand-holding, couple-y manner, but the I’m-presenting-my-palms-to-be-read-by-a-psychic-reader type of hand-holding that honestly felt more awkward than it looked. One because Hyunjin’s hand felt like a baby’s bottom, smooth and soft and fluffy, and two because he couldn’t find any place to rest his eyes other than the boy in front of him. And falling into a staring session with Hyunjin was not what he signed up for.

“Can we move on?” Seungmin griped. “This is getting boring.”

“Well, are you comfortable with what we just exercised?”

“Yes, actually.” Seungmin was taken aback by the truth behind it. Was it possible that what Hyunjin was doing was realistically helping him?

“Alright. In that case, shall we go higher up the arm?” Hyunjin recommended, pulling a hand back to run it through the back of his hair. “To the elbow perhaps?”

Seungmin thought it over. “That depends. Did you wash your hands before I got here?”

The pause was telling. Scratching his nose and refusing to look Seungmin in the eyes, Hyunjin answered with the most unconvincing, “Yes?”

Narrowing his eyes and pulling his hands away, Seungmin inquired, “When?”

Hyunjin had the decency to look ashamed. “Yesterday.”

Seungmin gasped. “Have you showered today? Or even yesterday?”

“Of course, I have. I’m not actually yucky! I shower at night before I go to bed. Otherwise, I bring the day’s filth with me to the bed.”

“Good answer. Please put on some hand sanitizer at least before you get anywhere near my elbow,” Seungmin requested.

“Aye, aye, captain!”

Rubbing each other’s forearms felt a lot odder than Seungmin expected. For one, he needed to distract himself from the awkwardness of it all. He had never purposefully done this, so the entire situation was relatively new to him. He also had to quit thinking about the possible transmission of grime and dirt when just moments ago he witnessed Hyunjin scrubbing his palms with sanitizer.

However, after a few moments of brushing each other’s forearm, it was alarmingly easy to lead his thoughts astray from all of that.

He wasn’t sure if it was because he became hypersensitive or that Hyunjin’s touch had always been extraordinary, but he could feel every ridge of Hyunjin’s fingerprints. How they applied pressure against Seungmin’s skin. How they marked Seungmin white before blood rushed into the places where Hyunjin pressed. How each glide from wrist to elbow felt like a catalyst of some sort, generating a current that ran through his humerus then shoulder blade and collarbone before settling at the cliff-edge where skull met spine.

They kept at it for a while, massaging each other’s arms until Seungmin would laugh the embarrassment away.

Hyunjin would giggle too because apparently he was the type to be instantaneously swayed by other people’s emotions. And then the room would be brimming with laughter, roaring and so unstoppable that students in the quad below could hear faint traces of it.

“What’s so funny?” Hyunjin would wonder aloud, eyes happily tear-stained.

“I don’t know,” Seungmin would respond, short of breath.

And then they would continue where they left off, kneading arms while keeping at bay the bubbly feeling in their stomachs, only to fall victim to the amusement of each other’s constipated expressions.

In the end, Seungmin and Hyunjin managed to make it all the way up to the shoulder, but not without lengthy intermissions for the sole purpose of releasing laughter. When Seungmin left, an hour after he came in, he realized he wasn’t as nervous about receiving the grades of his exams and papers or as troubled about his parents’ weekly call.

Like last time, Hyunjin waved goodbye and repeated his ending words from before: _People need people!_

And also like last time, Seungmin didn’t realize he forgot to determine exactly how Hyunjin was familiar with his name and face until he was a few buildings away. Oh well. That just meant he had more reason to come again for next time.

✧✧✧

“What’s he doing here?” Seungmin whispered to Jeongin.

On the far side of the campus coffee shop, hiding under a black beanie and face lit up by a laptop screen sat Bang Chan. His ears were covered with the large muffs of a headphone, bopping his head to some music Seungmin couldn’t hear.

“No idea,” Jeongin shrugged. “He came in a few minutes ago when you were on break. I wonder why Jisung isn’t with him…”

Seungmin smirked. Whenever Jisung was present, Jeongin was constantly on-guard. But in the older’s absence, Seungmin thought he could see the true impression Jisung had made on the younger. He was still uncertain how he should feel about it -- he supposed he was to blame considering Jisung would not have come here if this wasn’t Seungmin’s workplace. Perhaps he should just let things happen, considering the fact that there seemed to be interest from both sides?

“Since you’re so concerned, why don’t you ask him yourself?” Seungmin teased, waggling his eyebrows. “I can give you his number.”

“Whaaat?” The high intonation at the end made Seungmin chuckle. Jeongin scrambled for something to do something, and the first thing his hands found was the broom. “Don’t be ridiculous, why would I want that? Haha. I wouldn’t ask for that, nor would I accept it even if you give it to me. Heh, excuse me. I have to sweep.”

Seungmin could only shake his head before Jeongin exited the counter and began tidying up the customer’s side of the floor. Just as he settled in front of the cashier’s spot, Chan stood up from his seat. Instantly, Seungmin straightened his posture and dusted his apron.

“Good morning,” Seungmin recited with as much enthusiasm as he could. “What can I get for you today?”

“Good morning, Seungmin,” Chan gave him a lopsided smile, and Seungmin had to admit the man was attractive. “Just a coffee, please. Black, no room.”

Seungmin nodded as he rang him up. “Anything else I can get for you?”

As soon as the question left his mouth, Seungmin realized the mistake. Chan scratched the back of his head as he answered, “Actually, yeah. Can I have a second to talk?”

Considering that there was a lull in customer traffic right now, Seungmin had no choice.

“Sure. Let me just get your coffee for you!” Seungmin tried, hoping it would buy him enough time. What could Chan want to talk to him about? Surely it was obvious that Seungmin was not interested, even if he did look like he was sculpted by Adonis. And sure, yeah, his lips are nice, but that didn’t mean Seungmin was susceptible to changing his mind. Too quickly, the coffee cup was filled with dark, steaming caffeine. And so Seungmin trudged to the counter to give Chan his order. “Here you go. So, what’s up?”

The other man hummed as he grabbed his drink. “Uhm, I know it’s probably uncomfortable for you, but I hope it’s not awkward between us. I meant what I said before about hearing a lot about you from Jisung, and from what I gather, you sound like a really cool guy. And I would still like to be pals, or at least acquaintances, if that’s cool with you.”

Seungmin released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Yeah, no, that’s totally cool. I’d love to be just friends. I’ve been getting into music production actually, but I have zero trust in Jisung.”

Chan visibly sighed. “Oh, that’s good to hear! I’m kind of shorthanded in terms of singer friends. Perhaps we can learn something from each other.”

By the end of his shift, Seungmin and Chan had exchanged numbers. Jeongin, not willing to endure Seungmin’s teasing, had wound up finding more excuses to be away from the elder: refilling the kinds of milk and creamers stocked at the corner shelf, dumping the trash and recycling to their respective bins out back, even organizing the pastries that were set up for sale and display. At noon, right as they were folding away their aprons, Jeongin had shyly requested Seungmin for Jisung’s number, much to Seungmin’s amusement. As soon as Seungmin provided the digits, the younger had run away, the back of his neck a bright red blur.

Seungmin, snickering to himself, took out his phone and sent Jisung an ominous _You’re welcome, loser_ before setting off on the path to the cafeteria and The Hug Hub.

Unlike the previous visits, Hyunjin wasn’t the lone person in the club. His hair was also not styled in its usual ponytail, but that was neither here nor there. While Hyunjin spun on the swivel chair, a familiar-looking boy sat on the bean bag.

“Hello,” Seungmin announced, lowering his head on the way inside. “Is this a bad time?”

That couldn’t be true. Seungmin had been consistent in his visits, always coming right after eating lunch following his Thursday morning shift. Just to confirm, Seungmin checked his wristwatch. Sure enough, it was a few minutes past 1:00 pm. 

“Is it that time already?” Hyunjin replied as he screeched his turning to a stop. “I didn’t even realize.”

“Do you not have a watch?” Seungmin crossed his arms.

“No, he doesn’t,” the other person piped up, bringing himself to full height. Gradually, he walked toward Seungmin like a pixie gliding along the ground, feather-light and surrounded by an aura of sparkles. His light-colored hair was split down the middle, shaping his forehead in a heart. Specked with freckles, his cheeks had a sharp edge that Seungmin was envious of. To top it off, his narrow face finished down at his pointed chin. Either a lot of students in Yonsei were beautiful, or Seungmin is just very, _very_ gay. “It’s one of his unnecessary principles -- something about not wanting to be a slave to any clock. Little does he know, the human race is collectively a slave to time.”

“It’s a praiseworthy principle!” Hyunjin chirped from behind.

“Hello!” The other boy stood across Seungmin now, ignoring Hyunjin’s words to introduce himself. At this distance, Seungmin was even more convinced that he had seen him from somewhere. “Please don’t mind him. I’m Felix, by the way. What’s your name?”

“Seungmin,” he replied. And then, “Uhm, have I met you before?”

Felix cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowing before recognition lit up his eyes. “Oh. You’re from my Philosophy class, aren’t you? The one who always answers?”

Seungmin slouched in embarrassment. “Yeah, that’s me…”

“Dude, I’m impressed. I heard from the TA you got the highest score on the midterm. A 98%?! You gotta tell me your secret or study together for the next one, or something!”

That was not what Seungmin expected. “Uhh, sure? I mean, the next one shouldn’t be that hard considering the philosophies we studied were by-”

Hyunjin coughed from the chair, interrupting the conversation between Seungmin and Felix. “Don’t you have some place to get to, Lix?”

Felix blinked. “Right! Yes, I’ll just- I’ll get your information next time, Seungmin. Let’s study soon!”

“Yeah, sure.”

And then Felix is out the door, backpack bouncing on his back, and leaving behind a trail of invisible pixie dust.

“Ready to work today?” Hyunjin asked, beaming.

Sighing, Seungmin wondered why exactly he agreed to this. “Yes, yes, yes.” 

Today’s session was more routine than exploring uncharted territories. Rather than skipping forward, Seungmin and Hyunjin prepared Seungmin for the next visit. Apparently, the following session will be hugging and analyzing each hug to see which one suited Seungmin the most.

Now though, Seungmin was required to hug the decorative pillows. It sounded a little strange to the regular person, but Hyunjin assured him that it was perfectly normal -- which didn’t put Seungmin at ease considering how much Hyunjin diverged from the norm. And as if sensing Seungmin’s discomfort, the taller added, “Don’t worry. Nobody needs to know you are doing it but us.”

And so Seungmin spent the better part of the last several minutes embracing the pillows upon Hyunjin’s order.

“Imagine it’s a person,” Hyunjin instructed, pacing around the couch Seungmin occupied. “Pretend it’s a friend. Practice relaxing into the pillow. Is it uncomfortable? Does anything feel awkward? Figure out where your arms and head feel most comfortable and focus on that.”

It was much later, when Hyunjin was also sitting on the couch and hugging his own pillow, that Seungmin popped the question.

“So, you never did tell me how you learned my name,” Seungmin gave him a flat smile. “It’s not every day you encounter someone who can recognize your face and know your full name.”

Hyunjin hid his face into the pillow he was hugging, ears reddening from god knew what.

“About that,” he muffled into a cushion. And when silence took over, he shook himself off and managed to look up at Seungmin. “I swear, I wasn’t- It was only by chance, honestly.”

The longer Hyunjin put it off, the more interested Seungmin became. “What was only by chance?”

“You know a Bang Chan, right?”

That was the last name Seungmin expected to have come out of Hyunjin’s mouth. Hesitantly, Seungmin nodded.

“Well, I have a close friend. He’s in my Dance Team,” Hyunjin said, scratching his cheek. “And, you see, he has a little crush on Bang Chan. Well, actually, it’s a big crush. Big, big crush. Won’t stop talking about him when he’s not around. It can get annoying, really-”

Seungmin gave him a deadpan look.

“Right, stay on track. Well, my friend found out about Bang Chan having an interest in someone,” Hyunjin bit his lips. Seungmin thinks he knows where this is going. “And my friend wouldn’t stop talking about how much he disliked the person without even knowing him, harping on about _that fucking Kim Seungmin_. And we got curious as to how you looked, so we searched for you on social media… Uhm, and your Instagram is really easy to find, so.”

Seungmin was certain he was gaping like a fish, but he couldn’t think of any fitting reaction other than this. “What the fuck?”

“Yeah, and then you came in a couple of days later. I was… flabbergasted!” A pause. “Did I use that right?”

“Yes.” Seungmin would be lying if he said he never searched for someone on social media, but he wouldn’t give that information so readily. To the person of interest, no less! Hyunjin was definitely something else. “Forget, I even asked. What should we do next?”

Hyunjin visibility sighed and carded his fingers through his hair. “Have you ever had a side hug before?”

“Get any closer and I’ll drop-kick you.”

Though Hyunjin mentioned it, they never actually tried it that day. Instead, they talked about the healing properties of hugging -- how they do more than just show affection. How they reduce stress, as people keep repeating to him. How hugs trigger his brain to produce oxytocin, which Hyunjin had cited before if he recollects correctly. And how they keep you healthy because stress taxes the immune system, and since hugs lessen stress to a minimum, Seungmin will become less likely to get sick. Or so Hyunjin said.

Perhaps the most important though is how hugs could make someone feel connected to others, a physical embodiment of support. How hugs, if exercised to the most effective degree, could reduce the feeling of loneliness.

At the end of the session, Hyunjin shook his hands and singsonged his goodbye anthem.

Again, Seungmin found himself practicing the techniques that Hyunjin taught him. After all, he needed to be prepared for the next visit, right?

Later that evening, Seungmin’s phone lit up with a notification.

 _2m ago_ _  
__Hwang Hyunjin (jin_hwang00) started following you._

That same night, Hyunjin’s phone lit up with a similar one.

✧✧✧

In the days to come, Seungmin realized following Hyunjin back on Instagram was a mistake.

While it was a great way to keep up with his new friend, it was also tiring to constantly be replying to him. In just a span of a few days, Hyunjin had probably tagged Seungmin in more memes than he could count on both hands and feet. And though they had been hilarious, the notifications had come in abundance and were, truthfully, too much of a distraction during Seungmin’s study time.

Even though the majority of the posts Hyunjin had sent or tagged him in were of comedic nature, some did offer a sense of satisfaction or were, in Hyunjin’s own words, _uwu-inducing_. And for the most part, Seungmin agreed. The cute ones were mostly of animals, dogs and cats to be more specific, and Hyunjin would more often than not mention how the little house pets reminded him of Seungmin. Especially the pouty ones.

Seungmin mostly took this in stride and paid no special attention to it. After all, people had pointed out before his uncanny resemblance to puppies, especially when he smiled with crescent eyes. However, he did reply to Hyunjin’s comments with dry, sarcastic remarks. That came most naturally to him, and Hyunjin hadn’t expressed any discontent with the hopefully obvious sarcasm. Oftentimes, witty language didn’t translate well through the screen, but that didn’t stop Seungmin from using them in the last few days.

And it didn’t stop him now as he, once again, replied to Hyunjin with an unamused emoji.

“What are you smiling about?”

Seungmin felt like Jeongin just caught him doing something he shouldn’t.

“I wasn’t smiling? Don’t be ridiculous, I don’t do that.”

“Someone’s in denial,” Jeongin sang mockingly. “Whenever traffic dies down, you’ve been glued to your phone. It’s actually frightening. I thought you were just one of those robots that didn’t need social media to survive, but boy was I wrong. And now you’re actually, genuinely smiling down at your phone? It’s totally surreal.”

“Now I just feel dehumanized,” Seungmin retorted. Jeongin did have a point though, and it wasn’t good work ethic to be constantly checking notifications, so he sheepishly put his phone away much to the younger’s satisfaction. “And what about you, eh? You’ve gotten three orders wrong. Mind too occupied with your coworker’s roommate?”

“I- no. What? Ha! That’s hilarious,” Jeongin sputtered. “My being distracted has nothing to do with Jisung and everything to do with the fact that I have an exam in a few hours.”

“Riiiight.” Seungmin gave himself a mental pat on the back for: one, getting Jeongin flustered and two, successfully changing the subject without the younger even noticing. “So you _haven’t_ been texting Jisung as soon as our shift ends? And even during break time?”

Seungmin whistles. Jeongin’s silence was confirmation enough.

True to their nature, when the clock hit noon, Jeongin whipped out his phone to message someone while Seungmin skipped his way to lunch and then to The Hug Hub.

When Seungmin entered the familiar purple door, Hyunjin was once again snacking on potato chips. This time, the shorter boy didn’t flinch when Hyunjin licked off the flavor off one side then the other before popping the chip into his mouth.

“Hello,” Seungmin greeted as he settled on the couch. “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Hyunjin said through a mouthful of chips, staring at Seungmin confusedly. “Why?”

The question took Seungmin aback. Why is he asking why? Was that not a common question among friends? Was the sentiment of wanting to know how the other was doing… unusual? 

“What do you mean why? That’s not weird, it’s normal.”

Hyunjin shrugged. “You’ve literally never asked me how I am before.”

Seungmin was about to argue when, upon closer inspection, he realized Hyunjin was correct. Never had the younger boy asked how Hyunjin was doing. He supposed there was a first for everything?

“Fine, I won’t do it again then. Sorry for asking.” There was always a last too.

“That’s more like it,” Hyunjin said, dusting his fingers before smelling them and applying sanitizer. “Ready for Hyugs today?”

“Hyugs?”

“Hyunjin Hugs, silly. Come on, get with the program. We’re going to be exploring all different types of hugs: the buddy hug, the polite hug, the one-way hug, the back hug, the bear hug, and the intimate hug!”

Seungmin coughed. “That’s a lot…”

“It just sounds like a lot, but I think once you get the first one, you’d be fine,” Hyunjin beamed and, as an afterthought, added, “I hope.”

That didn’t sound very reassuring.

Hideously perky, Hyunjin handed him a brochure of the different types of hugs he had mentioned. Sure enough, they were all listed here with descriptions and possible meanings behind each embrace. What caught Seungmin unaware was that these weren’t the only types of hugs that existed, but only the main few that were common enough to have their own subcategory of hugs.

“The first one is the one with the lightest amount of body contact, so that shouldn’t be much of a problem.”

“I suppose,” Seungmin sighed and began to scan the pamphlet over.

Hyunjin chimed in and nearly recited the description word-for-word. “As you can see there, the Polite Hug is the type of hug you would usually share with acquaintances or colleagues. It’s generally given sideways and with only partial upper body contact. What should be reassuring to you is that the lower body never even touches. Easy, right?”

Seungmin read the last couple of sentences. _To couples, it indicates some discomfort or awkwardness. If you are getting this sort of a hug from your date, it means that there is some distance in the relationship._

Interesting, Seungmin thought. He had never put much meaning into hugs, but he guessed it made sense considering how often people, and primarily couples, engaged in physical contact.

Getting ready was a simple enough feat. Seungmin had been utilizing the relaxation practices nearly every day. After tensing and un-tensing his arms, Seungmin nodded. Calmly, Hyunjin approached him and gingerly sat by his side.

“You can always back out if you want to,” he said. “This isn’t mandatory.”

“I’m good. I want to,” Seungmin admitted. Otherwise, he would have wasted too many hours visiting this hippie hellhole. “And anyway, we’ve gotten this far. So why not go the whole way, right?”

“Well in that case, up we go!” Hyunin said and stood. Seungmin followed after. “Ready?”

A hum was all Seungmin could answer with.

Maintaining eye contact, Hyunjin tucked his arm around Seungmin’s shoulder. The weight was… not world-changing. It was as mundane as they came.

“Alright?”

Seungmin nodded. Copying the photo on the brochure, Seungmin willed his arm to move. With a few deep breaths and great difficulty, he managed to settle his arm around Hyunjin’s back and his hand on his waist.

“Completely alright, it seems,” Hyunjin laughed. “Can I add my own little flavor?”

It was a weird question. “Sure?”

Hyunjin allowed him a few seconds to gather himself. Though if Seungmin were to be honest, it only increased the suspense of what Hyunjin’s “little flavor” was. Just as this thought passed Seungmin’s mind, Hyunjin lifted his arm off Seungmin’s shoulder and traveled down.

He was rubbing Seungmin’s back. It was unexpected enough that Seungmin became tense.

“Whoa. Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

Seungmin shook his head. “No, it’s okay. It just took me by surprise.”

After receiving this comment, Hyunjin continued to rub Seungmin from upper to lower back. It was satisfying to say the least. For one, Seungmin had the knowledge that Hyunjin sanitized his hands before this. And that at least put Seungmin’s mind a little at ease.

“This is actually more Buddy Hug than Polite Hug now,” Hyunjin pointed out. Seungmin looked down and noted that he copied the wrong photo. Dear god, help him. Hyunjin probably thought he was stupid for reenacting the wrong section. That was okay though; it checked off another hug on the list.

“I guess we don’t have to do the Buddy Hug since we’re already doing it. Like two birds with one stone!”

Hyunjin gasped. “Don’t say that, that’s mean.”

“It’s an expression.”

“An awful one,” Hyunjin pouted as he rattled his head for a better saying. “How about... two giggles with one tickle?”

Seungmin laughed. It sounded so absurd.

“I mean, yeah, sure.”

After rubbing his back, Hyunjin snaked both of his arms around Seungmin’s shoulders. They were still side-by-side, and it didn’t feel at all intimate. Feeling brave, Seungmin used his free arm to meet his other, clasping his hands right at Hyunjin’s waist.

Seungmin breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't exactly easy, but it was simple enough.

"How was that?" Hyunjin asked.

"That was... okay."

The next hug was the One-way. This one did not feel as flattering. One person had to wrap his arms around while the other had to exert minimal effort. Perhaps it was the way Seungmin felt like a rag doll being embraced or like a backpack doing the embracing. In either case, he didn’t think this was his cup of tea. Even to him, it felt off.

Rereading the description, Seungmin was not surprised. The ending mentioned how _the lack of reciprocation you just got from the other person means that they’re clearly not as into the relationship as you are._ And isn’t that some shit?

“Maybe this one will be better,” Hyunjin pointed at the fourth on the list. He then gave Seungmin a look over before adding, “Actually, this is probably perfect for our heights.”

Seungmin shrugged. Oh, what the heck.

The Back Hug felt… more personal than Seungmin expected. Maybe it was the way Hyunjin’s arms felt warm as they covered Seungmin’s middle. Or maybe it was how Hyunjin, being the slightly taller person, had nestled his chin right on the thin muscle that connected Seungmin’s neck to his shoulder. It also could have been the warm air he felt by his ear every time Hyunjin exhaled. Yeah, there was that too.

It made Seungmin feel secure. Hyunjin was snug, protective, and strong, like an all-weather blanket.

“How is this?” The breath by Seungmin’s ear almost made him shudder.

“This is good. Cozy.” Good was such an understatement.

Peeking at the pamphlet, Seungmin noted the similarities between his thoughts and the words written on there. _The Back Hug is an intimate hug_ , the brochure said. _It is a sign of both trust and protection. It’s the sort that kids usually give their parents, and the parents reciprocate by carrying them around. For couples, if you are receiving a hug like this, it means someone has your back._ Seungmin mentally laughed at the wordplay. _And if you’re giving it to someone, it means you are willing to protect them from anything._

Seungmin wasn’t sure how accurate the couple’s section was, but the beginning at least made sense. Like he had mentioned before, the hug did make him feel protected and secure. So far, this had been the one Seungmin had felt the least uncomfortable with. 

“Just tell me when you’d like to move on,” Hyunjin declared.

“In a bit.”

 _In a bit_ ended up taking a lot more than assumed. Seconds bled into minutes. Clouds rolled by in waves. The students down below chatted some and walked away, oblivious to the two boys up on the fifth floor who had been locked in an embrace for half an hour. It was unbelievable to think that they had expended thirty minutes connected by the Back Hug.

When Seungmin gave the go-ahead, Hyunjin recommended the Bear Hug next. As stupid as it sounded, the Bear Hug was truthfully more stress-relieving than the name suggested. It was the regular hug. It was the hug that you shared during times of sadness and anxiety. It was the hug given between friends, family, significant others, and just any two people who are comfortable with each other.

It was tight, reassuring, and worth a million words. The description said so too. And as it described, Hyunjin’s Bear Hug was tight. His arms were wound around Seungmin, the weight of it heavy yet comforting. Perhaps the heaviness was what made it comforting. In any case, this was nice. Reassuring like it said. And already, Seungmin felt lighter. As if the hug itself was the bearer of the weight Seungmin had been carrying this whole semester.

“Whenever you’re ready for the next one,” Hyunjin hummed. Seungmin dared not to look at him. They were too close right now. It would certainly be awkward if they shared eye contact when their faces were only several centimeters apart.

“There’s another after this?”

Hyunjin cleared his throat. ”Well, I suppose it’s not, uhh, necessary. It’s also the most intimate, so we can keep that stocked on the shelf.”

Seungmin let out a relieved sigh. “That would be appreciated.”

They were still in a Bear Hug when someone entered through the door. As it opened, Hyunjin and Seungmin hastily let go of each other.

“Well, hello,” the intruder bowed and methodically snuck his way towards the filing cabinet. “Don’t mind me, just looking for some paperwork.”

“Is it 2 in the afternoon already?” Hyunjin had asked and then turned to Seungmin. “This is Changbin, by the way. He’s the one who made The Hug Hub possible.”

The intruder, Changbin his mind supplied, kept at his task, pulling out stapled documents that looked important and official. Changbin was as sharp as he was round. His chin and cheeks were a testament to that. Though his eyes were sharp, his lips made up for it by being extra fluffy. His arms bulged too, and there was a glint in his eyes that Seungmin found captivating. What was up with this university and handsome people? 

“A little past, actually. Are you still on that slave-to-no-clock bullshit?” Changbin smiled at Seungmin. “Nice to meet you. Changbin’s the name. You are?”

“Seungmin.”

Changbin grinned. “Of course you are.”

Seungmin couldn’t help but raise his brow. What was that supposed to mean? Hyunjin, for his sake, looked bashful. He didn’t know what exactly was going on here, so he thought it best to extract himself from the situation.

“It was past 2, you said? In that case I should really get going now," Seungmin coughed as he backed away. In a swift motion, he picked up his bag and swung his arms through the straps. "Thanks, Hyunjin! I'll see you next time.”

Hyunjin gave him a close-lipped smile. “Yes, of course. And yeah, see you next time! And remember-”

“People need people,” Seungmin finished for him when he was halfway out the door. “I know.”

✧✧✧

Like a child picking between two divorced parents, Seungmin realized much of his time was spent with two different groups of people. The only anomalies were the couple of occasions Chan and Seungmin recorded a cover together, but that was neither here nor there.

The first group was with his roommate and his roommate’s new boyfriend. Yes, boyfriend. Jeongin seemed weak to Jisung’s advances, and whatever fiery tactic the shorter boy used was effective against the icy exterior of Seungmin’s coworker.

Once or twice, Seungmin would find Jeongin already lounged in his and Jisung’s dorm room. After asking the younger what he was doing here, Jeongin would roll his eyes and say that he didn’t come here for Seungmin. That should have been obvious, Seungmin realized.

This was the reason why his weekends became devoted to movie night with his roommate and closest university friend. It didn’t bother him that he was a third wheel, mostly because Jisung and Jeongin never made him feel like one. Though they were finally a couple, the other two never participated in too much public display of affection when Seungmin was around. Seungmin was thankful.

Perhaps the most couple-y thing they did was throw popcorn into each other’s mouth, an activity that Seungmin refused to participate in because he disliked unclean dorms. Which was why he reprimanded Jisung when, a couple of days later, bits of popcorn were still to be found on the floor and in between couch cushions.

The second group was the hug therapists in The Hug Hub. From all of Seungmin’s visits, he was able to gather a couple of key pieces of information.

One was that Hyunjin was bothersome. He was one of those gullible guys from down the block who was all optimism and excitement and way too naive for his own good. Obviously, it’s in his best interest to have Seungmin stay by his side, if only to fend off all the evildoers surely queuing to take advantage of Hyunjin’s naivety. Interesting how that was Seungmin’s intention at the start but have backpedaled since then.

Not only that, but Hyunjin was much odder than the majority of the university’s student body. And staff. And yearly visitors. Seungmin noticed this on their first few encounters, but it became increasingly noticeable with every visit he made to The Hug Hub. Hyunjin was a peculiar boy with peculiar habits. Seungmin already expressed his uncertainty about such odd behaviors, but as the saying goes: old habits die hard. Seungmin would like to add to that and conclude: odd habits die harder.

Much to his astonishment, loitering at The Hug Hub became routine. Half the time, Seungmin found himself sitting on the polychromatic couch, hugging the mismatched pillows as he _feigned_ pretending to be listening to Hyunjin’s troubles with Advanced Calculus. Seungmin wasn’t actually heartless, but it was definitely the character he wanted to portray. It was his initial line of defense.

Sometimes, he would spend his free hours there simply talking to Felix. Felix was easy to get along with, someone who couldn’t be described as anything other than a bright ball of energy. Even just from a couple of meetings, Seungmin was certain that Felix was happiness personified.

What made it easier to hang with the boy was the fact that he and Seungmin were only born a week apart. Unsurprisingly, the lower division philosophy class that they were both in became much easier to deal with, for Seungmin because he was able to review what they studied by helping Felix, and for Felix because he obviously had the best tutor.

If not volleying philosophical ideologies with Felix, Seungmin was making snide remarks at Changbin. Changbin was the founder of the Hug Hub, Hyunjin mentioned once or twice, and Changbin said so himself. He carried it like one would a badge. Seungmin definitely commended him for starting a club at the university, that feat was no joke; however, he would first swallow a few kilograms of uncooked broccoli before one could find Seungmin telling him that.

Changbin wasn’t actually hard to mesh with, but there was something about the elder that made him so entertaining to tease. Perhaps it was the effortless way he taunted back or the admittedly adorable pout he would throw Seungmin’s way whenever he failed to produce a good retort. In any case, Seungmin positively enjoyed Changbin’s misery.

What made it even more satisfying was the fact that, despite the years Changbin and Hyunjin had spent together, the taller man would join Seungmin’s side in pestering the shorter. In fact, that was what just occurred mere moments ago. Now, Seungmin and Hyunjin were out and eating.

This became the norm after the first paid hug session -- having lunch together after their session. Yes, Seungmin had started paying. Ethics had taught him that. No, he didn't want to talk about it.

More than once, Seungmin had observed how Hyunjin would smell his fingers after finishing a bowl of food. The first time was interesting to say the least. The second time less so, but still just as unusual. By the fifth time, Seungmin couldn’t help but ask.

“Do you usually do that?”

Hyunjin immediately stopped what he was doing. “Do what?”

Seungmin was almost afraid to continue. “After you finish a plate of something… you always smell your fingers like this.”

Bringing his hand up to his nose, Seungmin reenacted the way Hyunjin would give it a quick sniff, head leaning in imperceptibly as if he was experimenting with the scents in a cologne shop.

“OH, that,” Hyunjin chuckled, stroking what little of his hair had come undone from the ponytail. “When I was around 8, a classmate once told me I smelled like pork belly. And, uhh, funnily enough, I did have some pork belly for lunch that day. So ever since then, I always smelled my hands to see if the food I ate gave off a strong scent. It’s become a habit now though, to the point where I don’t even realize I’m doing it.”

Seungmin could only shake his head. He added that to the ever-growing list of Hyunjin’s peculiar habits: licking the flavor off the potato chips before eating them, playing with his hair somehow, and smelling his fingers after having eaten.

In the weeks to come, Seungmin was able to expand this list. And by the beginning of the end of Midterm Season, the list had included a few more.

The next also had something to do with food, and Seungmin didn’t realize this sooner because Hyunjin barely ate fruits. Vegetables were an even rarer sight. Which was why, when Seungmin was invited to Hyunjin’s place for a quick brunch, he didn’t hesitate to bring a basket of fruits and vegetables. Hyunjin hadn’t looked too happy, but he forced himself to eat them all the same. With each one, without fail, Hyunjin would peel off all vegetable and fruit skins before eating them all naked-like. When Seungmin questioned him, he answered with a shrug and something about having eaten an incredibly bitter orange peel when he was young, and how in his mind, they probably all taste bitter anyway.

Just to spite him, Seungmin brought more fruits and vegetables the second time he was invited.

Another was cracking joints at inopportune moments, and this usually happened when Seungmin would go to The Hug Hub for nonsexual cuddling services. Except, they had only done this a grand total of three times, and each of those times could hardly be called cuddling. Rather, after Seungmin became used to giving and accepting hugs, they had figured out what type of embrace Seungmin favored. Nowadays, when Seungmin would feel a little too aggravated at the coffee snobs or needed to let off steam after receiving a grade on a quiz two or so points lower than he expected, Seungmin and Hyunjin would settle themselves on the couch to the sound of the elder’s knuckle cracking. On all occasions, Seungmin would sit right in front of Hyunjin and they would lean back until Hyunjin’s back met with the armrest. And then Hyunjin would snake his arms around Seungmin’s middle, a comforting weight, and the younger man would tip his head back onto Hyunjin’s shoulders and finally be able to relax.

It was not only the cracking of fingers that Seungmin noticed. Whenever they cuddled like this, Hyunjin would absentmindedly tap his fingers to some random beat that he apparently heard in the morning. And since Hyunjin would have his hands around Seungmin’s midsection, the gentle thrums would give Seungmin’s stomach a tickle. Through uncontrollable laughter, he would beg Hyunjin to stop only for Hyunjin to apologize and mention that he didn’t even realize he was doing it.

Having witnessed all of this, it became a game for Seungmin to analyze what unnecessary actions Hyunjin would take to accomplish a simple task. Along with the hug (and now cuddle) sessions, this had become another reason to visit Hyunjin at The Hug Hub.

✧✧✧

This was stupid.

It was absolutely, undeniably stupid. Though he supposed it always was whenever Hyunjin was concerned.

Final exams were on the horizon when Seungmin figured it out. For someone as smart as himself, it took him quite a while to notice it. What made it even more absurd was the fact that he wouldn’t have realized it if the person involved wasn’t _not_ present the way he was now.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, his conscience added. Or some shit like that. Weird, Seungmin thought. His internal voice sounded creepily like a replica of Jeongin's.

When Seungmin strolled into The Hug Hub, it became obvious that there was a key difference in the atmosphere. For one, the crunching of chips and the rustling of junk food bags couldn’t be heard. And even though the chair was spinning, Seungmin didn’t find the usual black and bronze ponytail that always accompanied it.

“Hey. Where’s Hyunjin?” Seungmin couldn’t help but ask, arms contracting on the textbooks he had to review.

Felix was sitting pristinely on the desk, hands folded neatly in front of him. He wore the prettiest, brightest smile. Seungmin was sure there were sparkles in the background every time he spoke or his eyelids fluttered.

“Considering it’s the week before Finals, he was pretty busy with clients and studying, so he asked me to take care of you if you came in today. Did he not give you a text about it?”

After he took his phone out to scan his notifications, Seungmin tried not to let the disappointment show on his face. “No…”

Felix was equally as bad at masking his shock as well. “I’m sure he just forgot,” Felix shrugged. “He’s a forgetful person.”

Right.

“Did you come in for a cuddle today or a hug?”

Felix was… not new, exactly. But this was the first time Seungmin would use a service The Hug Hub offered that didn’t involve Hyunjin. While a part of his mind suggested coming back at another time, the more insistent one argued that they had little time left for studying. Whatever hours were allocated for stress relief were the only ones he would get this week. Reasonable.

“A cuddle would be great.”

They exchanged formalities, like what boundaries existed and what body parts were off-limits. Soon enough, they were on the couch getting ready for a session. He wondered how different this would be, if it would even feel different at all. Were cuddles and cuddlers all the same? Perhaps there were legit identifying information that could be found in a touch. And as soon as Felix initiated contact, Seungmin knew the answer.

Already, Seungmin could tell the difference. Felix’s hands were small while Hyunjin’s encompassed Seungmin’s own. Though Hyunjin and Felix were both acquiescent to Seungmin’s needs and preferences, Hyunjin was a little more aggressive about his servitude. Most noticeable, perhaps, was how his touch was feathery and gentle and airy, whereas Hyunjin’s was sticky and adaptive, like water. Not necessarily unfavorable, but Felix took time to get used to, if only because Seungmin was most familiar with Hyunjin.

“Good?”

Seungmin hummed. “Good.”

Despite being in Felix’s arms, or perhaps because of it, Seungmin couldn’t help but think about Hyunjin. His mind had a mind of its own, wandering wherever it pleased without needing Seungmin’s permission.

He understood that Hyunjin was busy. It was nearing final exams after all, and that was exactly the reason why Seungmin was here today. Though he couldn’t help but wonder why he was the one who Hyunjin viewed as insignificant enough to warrant a stand-in. Had any of Hyunjin’s regular hug-seekers also required a substitute or was he the only one? Oh dear god, how many customers did Hyunjin have? Seungmin had never bothered to speculate.

Hyunjin was admittedly attractive, perhaps near-perfect visuals in Korean standards. Seungmin figured it only made sense that the number of people who requested him as their hug therapist would be plenty. Just how many people did Hyunjin cuddle every week? Tens? Twenties? Seungmin couldn’t even fathom touching so many people.

“You’re tense,” Felix suddenly interrupted his thoughts. “What are you thinking about?”

Hyunjin. “Final exams.”

“Me too,” Felix responded. “Want a massage? Friends and Family discount, free of charge.”

Seungmin nearly said yes, but decided against it. “It’s alright. The cuddle is enough.”

“Suit yourself,” Felix said, tightening his hold on Seungmin and swaying them slightly. He had his arms wound around Seungmin’s torso, back hugging him on the couch the way Hyunjin usually did.

Hyunjin. Seungmin wondered what he was doing right now? Was he locked in an embrace with a woman? Engaged in a cuddle with another man. Was their position at all similar to Felix and Seungmin’s? Seungmin shook his head. No use in imagining about the uncertainties. Instead, he should concentrate on being here with Felix and finding comfort in the embrace Felix held him in.

It was challenging to redirect his thoughts away from Hyunjin, but he was able to do it all the same. All he needed was something interesting to talk with Felix about and the rest of the hour flew by like a hummingbird. The conversation was comfortable, as they usually are with Felix, and Seungmin had fun dissecting the universe in such a small room.

That was straightforward enough. The complication didn’t arise until it was time to pay up.

“That’ll be 15,000 won please!”

“15,000?!” Seungmin exclaimed. That couldn’t be right. He had never had to pay that much for a cuddle. “Hyunjin only ever charged me 7...”

Was Felix ripping him off? But that couldn’t be. They’re close acquaintances, Seungmin explained to himself. Maybe even friends if he was being more generous. The Australian didn’t seem like the type to be shady in dealings. And they were literally in the same Introduction to Philosophy class, and that dealt primarily with ethics.

The furrow in Felix’s brows would have been funny if the situation wasn’t so complex. Since the confusion was evident, Seungmin was almost certain Felix was telling the truth. But how could there be two truths concerning the same detail of the same event?

“Did he now?” Felix pondered, looking cheeky as he whipped out his phone. His eyes examined the screen, and Seungmin had the uneasy feeling of being put on trial, as if one incorrect phrase could return with incredible consequences.

“I’m sorry,” Seungmin tried. “Maybe I’m… remembering wrong.”

“Ah, no, it’s actually my fault,” Felix argued, pointing at his phone as proof of his mistake. “I must have confused it with the Intimate Cuddle price. Silly me! Rookie mistake. My phone says you’re correct. It’s 7,000 won.”

Just as Seungmin stepped towards him to take a closer look, Felix put his phone away with a sunny smile. Uhm. Okay?

Seungmin handed him the bills, making sure it was the correct amount before bidding Felix good luck with his final exams and exiting.

Leaving The Hug Hub today didn’t instill that same lighter feeling he had experienced in his previous visits. Seungmin believed it had half to do with the fact that Felix was someone he was still not familiar enough to engage bodily contact with and half to do with the idea that Hyunjin was so wanted by the students in this school that he needed Felix to stand in for him.

_Ah, shit._

This was like one of those romance movies, wasn’t it? Where the main character experiences a revelation about their own thoughts and feelings. Where the idea of romance, which had seemed unlikely from the beginning considering Seungmin’s own preferences, now seemed preferable. And perhaps possible, if Seungmin could debate it out.

But Seungmin was never an optimist. That was Hyunjin’s specialty. It had been one of the many differences between Seungmin and Hyunjin. A case where Seungmin sees a glass half-empty while Hyunjin argues that it’s half full. Perhaps that was what Seungmin was subconsciously attracted to, how there were parts of himself that Hyunjin was able to fill in ways Seungmin never could. Like how Seungmin’s brain was wired to assume negative outcomes while Hyunjin’s was programmed to consider the favorable possibilities. How Seungmin had always abided by the rules while Hyunjin was slave to none. And how Seungmin was most comfortable when planning things to the tiniest detail while Hyunjin was spontaneous enough to change plans quicker than a snap.

The most obvious difference, perhaps, was how Hyunjin wore his feelings on his sleeves while Seungmin tried to present himself as emotionless. Seungmin supposed that statement would have been true if he declared it months ago. Now, he’s not so sure.

God. Hyunjin had turned him into a sap. Seungmin sighed. There were only two people to blame for this undeniably stupid predicament.

✧✧✧

At one of the tables in the dining hall of Yonsei University sat Seungmin, gulping on his seafood soup. Usually, he wore a blue cap, but today he let it all out. Silky black hair blocked much of his vision as he picked on the mussels and slurped on the red-tinged noodles. He ate with a glass of water by his side because the spiciness got to him from time to time.

To his left was his parasite of a coworker and to his right was his leech of a roommate. This afternoon, though, they were his anchor. There was minimal bustling in the cafeteria. Fluorescent lights lit the place in bright white, creating shadows on all of their faces as they munched on their food before gathering around Seungmin.

“So tell me again what big problem you had that I was forced out of my online match? By my roommate and my boyfriend, no less?” Jisung questioned. Until now, Seungmin couldn’t quite believe that Jeongin actually let Jisung chase after him. And _liked_ it.

“Well, I wanna start with the fact that I blame both of you.”

Jisung and Jeonging sputtered, with the youngest adding, “Us? What did we do?!”

“You recommended that forsaken hippie hellhole in the first place!”

“What the heck are you talking about?” Jisung asked, an eyebrow raised. “Hippie hellhole? You don’t mean… The Hug Hub?”

“Of course he’s talking about The Hug Hub,” Jeongin answered before turning to Seungmin. “Have they caused you problems? Do people need to get beaten up? Tell me who! I have my big brother on speed dial.”

As much as Seungmin appreciated Jeongin's brother to come to the rescue, Seungmin shook his head. There was no need for it. “No, nothing like that. It’s more of a personal problem…”

“Like… Depression and anxiety and shit?” piped up Jisung.

Again, Seungmin shook his head and gulped. He couldn’t believe he was about to tell these two, but he was never great at seeing the big problems, so this was almost required lest he mess things up or something. Bracing himself, Seungmin blurted, “No. Like… like feelings and shit.”

The loud, dramatic gasps were absolutely unnecessary.

“You have emotions?” Now that was uncalled for.

“Tell us!”

“Who?!”

“Yes, spill!”

“Is it Changbin?!”

“It’s Felix, isn’t it?!”

At this, Jeongin and Jisung exchanged looks.

“It can’t be Felix,” Jisung argued. “Felix is too agreeable. Seungmin would want someone he could banter with. Like Changbin!”

Jeongin scoffed. “That may be, but Felix is very likable. So many of my peers have a crush on him, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Seungmin was included in the mix.”

They narrowed their eyes at each other, performing an intense staring match before twisting towards Seungmin, fire on their face as they demanded, “Well?!”

Oh boy. This got out of hand quickly. Seungmin tensed his arms for a few seconds and released it along with a long breath. “I think I like Hyunjin.”

Their reactions would have been funny to Seungmin if the situation was any less serious, but as such, he only watched as they blinked at him in confusion.

“The one who smells his fingers after eating?”

Seungmin couldn’t even look at Jisung as he nodded. How did he even know that?

“But why?” They said in unison.

If only Seungmin knew, he would answer that question. Even he wasn’t certain why he had feelings for Hyunjin, just that he did. He wasn’t sure when it started, only that one day he felt the symptoms of romantic emotions: the sweaty palms, the quicker heart rate, and the warm cheeks. Also present was the slimy sensation of the green monster, but that was unwelcome.

Seungmin shrugged and explained, “I don’t know. He’s nice. Very smart in the topics he’s interested in. He’s actually funny if you know what he’s talking about… And I guess he’s cute too. Sometimes you just click, and after a few visits to The Hug Hub, he and I... clicked.”

“What seems to be the problem then? He doesn’t like you back?” Jeongin inquired.

“That question is irrelevant. The problem is… he’s my therapist. Or, well, my hug therapist.”

Jisung sucked in a breath. “You’re not supposed to develop feelings for your therapist! That’s, like, against the rulebook or something.”

“I know, I know-”

“Just look at how toxic the Joker and Harley Quinn became,” Jisung added with a shake of his head.

“I- Did you just compare me to a psychopathic murderer?” Seungmin swatted the thought away and continued. “Never mind that. First of all, it wasn’t the Joker who had feelings but Harley Quinn. And this is real life! But I mean… is Hyunjin even a real therapist?”

“Obviously not,” Jeongin spoke with a roll of his eyes. “A hug therapist isn’t real. He’s more like a friend helping you overcome your distaste for physical touch, right? Just pursue him if it really means that much to you.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“Yes, it is,” Jisung butted in, a smug look on his face. “Look at me and Innie. I kept pestering him until he said yes to a date.”

“Sometimes, it really is that easy." Jeongin gave Jisung a soppy smile. Seungmin almost barfed. "Have you even asked him out yet?”

“No.”

“And have you told him how you felt?”

Seungmin sighed. “No.”

“Well, there you go,” Jeongin urged. “If you don’t take a chance, how will you ever know the result?”

Seungmin thought it over in his head. Was he ready to put his heart on the line? Already, he had revealed too much of himself to Hyunjin more so than to most people he knew. Already, Hyunjin had embraced him more than anyone other than his parents, and that was ridiculous considering they’d only been introduced to each other this semester. But there was still the issue of his… regulars.

“Okay. But what about his… god, I hate saying this. His customers? He’s a popular member of The Hug Hub after all. He cuddles so many people weekly.”

Jeongin crossed his arms. “Do you trust him?”

Did he? If someone asked Hyunjin this question about Seungmin, the younger was certain that Hyunjin would answer with no hesitation. Along with that, he was reminded of how Hyunjin emphasized the importance of consent, how he allowed Seungmin to learn at his own pace, and how, despite Seungmin’s insistence, he never failed to pay for their traditional lunch after their sessions.

“Yes,” he breathed out. Then, again with more conviction. “Yes, I do.”

“Then everyone else is unimportant.”

For someone so young, Jeongin did have good insight and a commendable grasp of how people and, in extension, romance worked. 

“What do I do?”

“You’re lucky your roommate is a love guru,” Jisung grinned, rubbing his palms like an evil mastermind. “How fast can you get a poodle, pink hair dye, and an appaloosa pony?”

Seungmin closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

This was going to be an exhausting afternoon.

✧✧✧

Exams took the university by storm. The cafe was flowing with sleepy students at all hours of the day. The traffic was so constant that Jeongin and Seungmin never had time to lounge around and talk until the end of their shifts.

Much like the rest of the campus residents, Seungmin spent most of his time with his nose buried in a book. His fingers and wrists had a slight ache in them, but he willed himself to keep writing notes. He knew he would be thankful for it later.

Finals were problematic enough. At the same time, it was also a good distraction from another situation Seungmin dreaded thinking about. Though Hyunjin had texted him a few times, they hadn’t yet met up for anything. And it continued that way until Seungmin finished all of his exams that semester and declared himself a free man.

Coincidentally, Hyunjin had also completed his exams. Which was why they were now in Hyunjin’s dorm for a cuddle session. The Hug Hub office was officially closed for the semester, so Hyunjin invited him over. This had been his third time here now, and each time Seungmin knocked, Hyunjin had opened the door with loud music while dancing to songs and singing along. Usually, his hair would be in a ponytail and the sun would light him like a firefly. Today was more of the same, except Seungmin didn’t bother with fruits and vegetables.

Quickly, they found themselves on the couch engaged in a back hug and partaking in an intriguing conversation about the lifespan of people with certain affinities.

“And that is how pessimists outlive optimists,” Seungmin claimed where he’s settled in Hyunjin’s arms. 

“Is that what your parents told you?”

“There have been studies about this, genius. I mean, I should check how credible they are, but the gist is that pessimists expect worse and take preventative steps to live a better, longer life.”

“Studies, shmudies. Optimism is a fulfilling way of life. If you would try it, you would know,” Hyunjin tightened his arms. “Any more facts you’d like to share?”

“Slugs have four noses.”

Hyunjin snickered. “Interesting! Tell me more.”

Seungmin tried to shake up his brain, hoping that something newsworthy would come to him from all the rattling. “Up to 3% of Antarctic glaciers are made of penguin piss.”

“Fascinating,” Hyunjin giggled. “Anything that doesn’t involve literal ice blocks of golden animal urine?”

“Uhhh, snails can sleep for up to three years?”

“That sounds good right about now,” Hyunjin sighed.

“It does, doesn’t it?” Seungmin parroted. When the silence became comfortable, Seungmin willed himself to ask. “What, uhm. What are you doing tonight? N-Now that Finals are over?”

“Oh,” Hyunjin exclaimed. Clearly the question took him by surprise. Did Seungmin just make a mistake? “I’m going to an End-of-Semester party. My friend is hosting. I’d invite you, but… I’m not sure if- The host is…”

Seungmin waited patiently. A party. There was always a dumb party in the way.

“Oh, what the heck. It shouldn’t hurt. Do you want to come?”

“Sure?” Seungmin shrugged.

Hyunjin beamed down at him. “Sweet! I’ll text you the address.”

✧✧✧

The address, as it turned out, was the residence of none other than Lee Minho. And Jisung, who had supplied this bit of information, turned out to be a friend of his.

“He almost didn’t invite me,” Jisung commented as they walked from the closest subway exit to the large house. “Something about setting up his crush with someone other than him. I made up for it by saying my roommate was hopeless and needed the set-up to even get a date.”

“You're such a dipshit,” Seungmin smacked him on the arm.

“Joking, joking!” Jisung had his hands up in surrender.

“You better be,” Seungmin threatened, fixing his jeans. God, they were uncomfortable. Jisung had made him wear Jeongin’s impossibly tight pants, Jisung’s unsuspectingly heavy boots, and his own loose-fitting button-up. Seungmin had first objected Jisung’s proposition of keeping the first few buttons undone so that he could put some glitter on his chest. But with enough cajoling from Jisung and Jeongin, Seungmin resigned to their coaxing.

And that was how Seungmin found himself with a sparkly chest out in the open, neck decorated with some silver necklace, ears clipped with one of Jisung’s fake, dangly earrings, and long legs adorned with tight jeans. The weight of the boots made walking difficult, and each step was hampered by the tension of the Jeongin’s pants. Did he have sticks for legs or something?

When Jisung rang the doorbell, a man with big eyes and pouty lips opened the door. His Junoesque face looked like it was made of marble. On his tall, button nose was a beauty mark, and boy was it a mark of beauty. This man was perhaps the most attractive person Seungmin had ever laid his eyes on. Music was pumping from inside, but Seungmin had no idea until the door was opened. What kind of soundproof magic bedecked this place? His thoughts were disrupted when the beautiful man spoke.

“You made it,” the man shouted excitedly at Jisung before his eyes landed on the youngest. He was clothed in a silky, very expensive looking bathrobe. One hand held out at his guests and the other daintily holding onto a wine glass, the man added gleefully, “And so did the boyfriend! Great to finally meet you.”

Jeongin beamed and bowed. “You too.”

The man then turned his attention to Seungmin. “And who might you be?”

Before Seungmin could answer, Jisung chimed in from the side. “This is my roommate, Seungmin. Roomie, this is Minho, one of my colleagues from last year. Hope you both get along!”

Ah. So this is the famous Lee Minho. True to the stories Seungmin had heard about him, Minho gave him a quick once over and announced “Pleasure” in a way that didn’t sound like he was pleased at all.

“Likewise.”

Minho stepped aside and allowed them in.

“Drinks are in the little room. The three big rooms are for anyone’s use. Upstairs absolutely off-limits. There are four bathrooms down here, so if I catch you sneaking up to the ones upstairs, your ass will get dragged to the doorstep. Pool is lit and heated. Break anything, I break your toes. Steal anything, I’ll find out and make your life a living hell. Puke on anywhere and leave it uncleaned, I will hunt you down and clip your tonsils out. Any questions?”

Seungmin was impressed that he was able to say all that with a cheerful smile.

“Perfect. Go along now. Have fun. Make mistakes. Do your thing.”

Seungmin did as he was told. He wouldn’t even dream of ever crossing Lee Minho. That was… frightening to say the least.

“Cool, isn’t he?” Jisung said as he caught up with them. Jeongin and Seungmin were too scared to loiter and had headed in first while Jisung stayed back for a quick chat.

“That’s one word for him,” Seungmin replied.

Seungmin hadn’t gone to many parties, but this was definitely the largest one he had attended. The others were simple get-togethers with people like Seungmin, which meant that alcohol was minimal and board games were a-plenty.

He quickly found out that this was nothing like that. At the same time, it seemed parties were also not like the movies. Even the large ones held by the upper class. The scenes were always exaggerated like groups of people dancing to loud music under multicolored lights. People making out in the bathrooms. Too-drunk students puking out at the patio.

Seungmin didn’t witness much of that. Those things did happen but it seemed that they occurred few and far between. However, there was one thing that TV shows did get correct, and that was the mind-boggling amount of alcohol present. The kind that, if consumed too much too quickly, was legitimately inducive of alcohol poisoning.

They stood in stacks and bottles upon bottles. There were unopened glass bottles of wine on the table. Underneath were packs of what seemed to be soju. Even hard liquor like vodka and tequila, whiskey and rum littered the table. Perhaps the most abundant were the cases upon cases of beer and the cans of cola and cider that were stationed next to them.

Jisung bumped his elbow as he gestured at the alcohol. “What do you feel like today, roomie?”

Seungmin didn’t drink. In fact, he hadn’t drunk alcohol. What were the chances that sheepish Kim Seungmin was a heavyweight when it came to drinking? He kind of wanted to find out. And the people he came with tonight were two of the most trustworthy students on campus.

Seungmin pointed at the bottle with clear liquid, and Jisung began to fill a red cup for him. When the plastic cup was handed to him, Seungmin felt his nose being attacked. The scent of alcohol was _strong_.

Jeongin settled for a bottle of soju while Jisung popped open a can of beer.

“Cheers!” Jeongin exclaimed. Jisung started chugging. Seungmin copied him and realized too late that was not how to drink certain types of alcohol.

“Dude, that’s straight vodka!” Jisung shouted as Seungmin began to cough. The smell was intense. Seungmin’s throat and nostrils were burning as Jeongin hurried to give him a can of cider. Seungmin gulped some down, and it helped with the boiling he felt in his stomach.

“You can’t chug vodka. What the fuck?”

Seungmin coughed as he shrugged. His outfit may scream hot, but it was hard to take the nerd out of the boy. “How do I drink it then?”

“You can take it in shots or you can mix it,” Jeongin suggested. “For you though… it's probably best to mix it.”

And so Seungmin did. He realized vodka tasted best when combined with some fruity juice.

On his first cup, Seungmin found Hyunjin by the fireplace. People were gathered all around him. Of course, he was popular. He was too norm-defying to not be the center of attention. Seungmin didn't approach him but Hyunjin didn’t either.

From across the room, they played a game of staring. They didn’t come closer, but they had spent more time watching each other than the people they were having conversations with. The whole night, Seungmin couldn’t keep his eyes off Hyunjin. He looked stunning with what little lip gloss he used tonight. Even his outfit was kilometers away from how he usually looked.

Seungmin was three cups deep when his friends said something about his situation.

“You should go over there,” Jeongin recommended, head tilting towards Hyunjin’s direction.

“Do it, roomie. You look hot. Trust me, he won’t be able to resist you.”

Seungmin’s throat felt dry. “You think so?”

“I know so,” Jisung smirked. “Any work of mine is considered art. And you, my friend, are a masterpiece.”

Looking over, someone already had themselves draped over Hyunjin’s shoulders. Seungmin’s stomach started swirling. It must have had to do with the three cups of mixed alcohol he had consumed.

“Okay, I will. But maybe when I’m more sober... Soberer? Whichever. I don’t want to puke on him.”

Jisung and Jeongin sighed as if they knew this was coming. 

When the heat of the alcohol mixed with the warmth of the bodies around him got to be too much to bear, Seungmin elbowed his way to the backyard. Out here, the pressure was low, even if the world was spinning just the tiniest bit. The temperature was able to dissipate to equilibrium. And Seungmin found breathing much easier out here.

In the pool were throngs of people having a little too much fun out in public. Some were playing their own version of water polo, others had been participating in a makeshift swimming race. Amongst them were couples here and there, glued by the hand or, if they were more adventurous, by the lips. Seungmin avoided them. Instead, he situated himself in a bench inside the little gazebo out back. Spherical lanterns were hung around the backyard, basking the area with a toasty, golden glow. He had to admit, the lights made him dizzier than he already was. Chatter was ceaseless, but the space out here was so wide that to Seungmin, the cheerful noises coming from the pool area sounded much like whispers.

Seungmin wondered how rich Minho’s family must be to have a house like this. Even the trees that grew here looked antique; they carried a sheen of opulence as if real gold were used as their fertilizer. Or maybe Seungmin was just glassy-visioned. Even this little gazebo was decorated with pretty flowers. Seungmin thought for a moment if these blossoms were at all exotic or endangered.

He couldn’t help but reach out for a flimsy-looking flower with a pearly luster. It looked as if one touch was all it needed to escape from its stem. Before his fingers made contact with its petals, someone called out.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

The voice was music to his ears. Seungmin retracted his fingers, lips itching to form a smile. He hid it by drinking from his red cup despite the fact that his face was still buzzing from it all.

“And what would happen if I did it?” Seungmin contested.

Hyunjin snickered. “Minho _-hick-_ has a knack for finding out if something has gone amiss. It’s like _-hick-_ he has eyes everywhere or something. If he sees that you plucked one of his _-hick-_ flowers, it’ll be your head next.”

The shudder that came over Seungmin had nothing to with the slight chill settling in. Even as he sat, the cold began to lay around him like drapes.

“Better not then.”

"Better not," Hyunjin nodded and went over to his side. Sitting this close had never felt more stressful. “What are you doing here?”

Seungmin frowned. “You invited me, remember?”

Hyunjin chuckled and hiccupped, hand settling on Seungmin’s knee. “I meant out here. Why are you being a loner out here instead of having fun in there?”

“I guess I’m not as much of a people person as other folks are.”

The silence wasn't uncomfortable. It allowed them to hear the quiet song of the evening wind, the soft pittering of leaves as they danced to it. Seungmin kind of felt like dancing too.

“And that’s totally fine,” Hyunjin beamed at him. “I know I always said people need _-hick-_ people, but sometimes, you know, sometimes _-hick-_ people also need their space.”

“Are you alright? You’ve been hiccuping.”

“Yeahhh,” Hyunjin drew out. “Drank a little. And now _-hick-_ it won’t stop.”

The action made it hard for Seungmin’s eyes to stay away from Hyunjin’s lips. They seemed to shine even under the darkness of night. Not much illuminated the backyard now, just the gentle flicker of the decorative lanterns and the soft moonlight. Out here in Gangnam, lights were harsh, and the pollution of it made stargazing almost impossible. As such, the skies were nearly clear save for the waxing gibbous hanging above them and the stars that shone too brightly for the city of Seoul.

Sweat had accumulated in his fists now. On his knee was still the steady presence of Hyunjin’s hand. His heartbeat was so erratic, so rapid in his ear that Seungmin wondered how Hyunjin couldn’t hear it. Or feel it.

His vision was becoming blurry, the heat pooling in his face. Hyunjin was much closer now. Did he move? Or had Seungmin leaned in? It didn’t matter because in the time it took for a wing to flutter, for their eyes to close, the distance between them had become nonexistent.

Seungmin had once read that lips had more nerve endings than any part of the body. It was probably true considering how he could sense that Hyunjin’s lips were warmer than the rest of him. Seungmin half wondered if he was the same. Kissing, like in movies, had a special effect on the ones engaging in it. There were no fireworks, that was all fake, but it felt magical all the same. Magical because, as impossible as it sounded, time had stopped. Physics didn't work when Seungmin kissed Hyunjin. As long as their lips stayed connected, it felt as if the seconds had become frozen. Time had halted with a resounding click, like a photograph, and Seungmin and Hyunjin were left suspended in the middle of nanoseconds. Perhaps most satisfying was-

_-hick-_

The hiccup startled both of them. And as quickly as they had met halfway, they broke apart.

His lips were ringing. His cheeks were buzzing. Though that could have been from the alcohol, but Seungmin was certain it wasn't. Heavy breaths fogged up their surrounding vicinity. Seungmin couldn’t stop the depth of his breathing, felt as if he diluted his oxygen intake to any degree, he’d faint. Hyunjin had gotten Seungmin’s first kiss. Or did Seungmin take it? He was unsure. The only thing he was sure of was that he wanted to do it again. His finger twitched, wanting to reach out for Hyunjin's cheeks.

“Sorry."

Wait, what?

"I _-hick-_ probably shouldn’t have kissed you.”

Had Seungmin read the situation all wrong? Did Seungmin severely fuck up by kissing Hyunjin right now? Why was he apologizing? What was so wrong about kissing Seungmin that it warranted an apology from the elder.

It couldn’t be that… perhaps he felt bad about kissing? Seungmin swallowed. Was it that, after the kiss, Seungmin’s feelings were obvious, and Hyunjin felt guilty about not being able to reciprocate it? Oh dear god. Glancing at Hyunjin, Seungmin noted that he was the definition of rattled. Seungmin felt just as shaken as well. That was a huge leap. Looking back now, perhaps they should not have taken it. And it seemed Hyunjin thought the same.

Seungmin always figured rejection would feel painful. Instead, he was just numb.

“I should go.”

Before Hyunjin could even reach for him or call his name, Seungmin had run out the little gazebo, past the group of students frolicking in the water, into the house, and out the door.

He sent a quick text to Jeongin and Jisung, informing them that he was taking a kakaotaxi back to the dorm. He picked an address that was a quarter-hour walk from Minho’s. He needed time to think and to cool off, and the taxis always took a long time anyway.

Whatever alcohol intoxicated his bloodstream had evaporated now. Left behind was the adrenaline of rejection.

Fuck.

Shitty, shitty. This was not how he wanted this evening to go.

It was much colder now, or maybe that was only because Seungmin was out in the streets. In any case, he regretted not bringing along a jacket or hoodie of some sort. Instead, his stupid chest was exposed with the stupid glitter that sparkled under the streetlight. Begrudgingly, he wiped at his chest and dusted off the glitter onto the unsuspecting sidewalk.

The walk was far. Seungmin had much to think about. People needed people, but people also needed their space.

Stupid, stupid. Seungmin should have kept to his space.

When the kakaotaxi arrived asking for confirmation if he was Seungmin, he merely nodded. He figured his throat would probably fail him if he tried to talk right now. As he buckled his seatbelt, the driver requested the ending destination. Seungmin huffed.

“Yonsei University.”

His voice was scratchy, sounding like it had barely been used in the last few months. The driver didn’t question it, and Seungmin didn’t bother clearing it up. That was okay. He didn’t need to talk. The sad songs on the radio were conversation enough.

✧✧✧

Seungmin had always been an early riser, diligent in waking himself before the brightness of the morning sun passed through his window. More often than not, he’d rouse just a minute or two before his alarm.

But that was the Seungmin prior to his first encounter with alcohol.

This Seungmin was fast asleep when the sun peeked from the east. This Seungmin was snoring in his party outfit, too lazy to change when he got home the night before. Instead, his roommate had been woken before him -- an occurrence about as rare if not rarer than a total solar eclipse.

“What did you do?!” were not the first words Seungmin wanted to hear upon waking up. Immediately, his skull was attacked by a pounding headache. Across from him, Jisung had a not-so-friendly expression on his face, hand gripping his phone, fuming, and pantless. A pillow was fired exactly at Seungmin’s chest. Looking down, he noticed that his jeans (Jeongin’s jeans, his mind corrected), though with buttons undone, were still on his legs. One sock hung on his foot while the other was thrown carelessly on the ground.

Good question. What _did_ he do?

“Drank? Get trashed?” _Experience my first heartbreak?_ Seungmin’s didn’t say. “What time is it?”

“Too early. But what happened last night?”

Seungmin yawned, stretching his limbs all cat-like. The heat had yet to settle like a blanket. It was still early morning. “You’re gonna have to be more specific than that.”

“I just got a call from Minho,” Jisung explained, prodding his ear. “It was more of a scolding, really. He said Hyunjin was sobbing all night and that Hyunjin wouldn’t say what happened but that Minho was certain you were the cause of it all. Said even though he doesn’t personally know you, you were the bane of his existence. And that if you don’t fix this right now, he will march over here, tear down this door, and drag you to Hyunjin himself. Or maybe it was carve you like sheepskin himself? I’m not sure. At that point, my ears were ringing and I couldn’t understand him properly.”

“Me?! Why am I at fault? I’m the one who got hurt,” Seungmin spat out. He could feel the blood rushing to his head, certain that the vein there was now bulging. Was it from anger or from the hangover, he wasn’t sure. Needless to say, he was now adequately annoyed. “Why should I care if he cried? Was I just a plaything that he discarded after he got bored with me? Did I ruin his fragile ego? Was he so guilty of his actions that he had the gall to sob when he was the one who led me on?”

Jisung instantly came over to Seungmin. His hands hovered over Seungmin but didn’t touch. Perhaps he was scared that Seungmin would lash out even more if he initiated physical contact.

“Whoa, dude, there has obviously been a big misunderstanding, I think,” Jisung replied softly. “Are you okay? What went on last night? I saw you guys at the gazebo talking. I thought you two were having a good time?”

Seungmin felt pathetic using the exercises to calm himself from the high emotions caused by the same person who taught them in the first place.

“We were. I mean, I _thought_ we were. And then- Like, we were talking out there about random shit. And somehow we ended up… Hyunjin and I ended up kissing last night.”

“I- what?!” Jisung sputtered. “What do you mean- wait, isn’t that a good thing?”

Seungmin shrugged, the fight seeping away from his bones. “I thought so too. But I guess it was one-sided because he started apologizing right after. Like, he must have felt bad about not returning my feelings. Why else would he be apologizing, right?”

“That- that doesn’t quite explain why Hyunjin was a mess last night,” Jisung added thoughtfully. “Did you- were you the one who leaned in first?”

“Yes,” And then, upon further inspection, “I think it might have been me? Yes, I think so. Or, wait… I was a little dizzy by then so perhaps we initiated it at the same time? I’m 70% sure I kissed first.”

Jisung raised an eyebrow.

“Okay. Maybe 55%.”

“And neither of you guys said anything after that? Like, he didn’t mention why he was apologizing?”

Seungmin pouted. Mayhaps he was a bit rash yesterday. “I mean… why else would he be saying sorry? I didn’t want to hear his excuses. Being rejected was enough, so I left to save myself from even more embarrassment.”

The facepalm was so loud, Seungmin wondered how Jisung didn’t injure himself.

“Did you even think that, maybe, there were other, simpler and more fitting explanations as to why he’d apologize?”

“No…" Seungmin scoffed. And then, "Like what?”

“Like, oh I don’t know. Maybe he felt guilty for kissing you while you’ve both had something to drink? Or maybe he felt awful for moving too quickly? Especially with someone who has a particular distaste for physical contact.”

Seungmin blinked. Those reasons were a more optimistic take on the situation, but Seungmin had to admit that they also made more sense. Or perhaps he was simply experiencing confirmation bias? “Gee. I didn’t think about those.”

“Clearly,” Jisung sighed, looking like he had aged faster than normal. “Now get out of bed. Clean yourself up. And go to Hyunjin’s to fix this.”

Seungmin groaned but agreed nonetheless. As he got ready, he wondered when exactly he had acquired some really wise friends.

When he finally finished looking at least a little presentable, the sun was still low on the horizon. The morning chill was bearable, and he set path from his apartment as Jisung greeted him goodbye and good luck.

Seungmin didn’t want to think about it for too long. He knew that if he overthought the situation, he would psych himself out of doing this. Which was why, despite the small headache he’d been harboring, Seungmin found himself speedwalking to Hyunjin’s dorm.

Three quick knocks were enough to cause commotion from across the wooden door. Alcohol must have given him superhuman hearing because he could pick up precisely the soft pads of Hyunjin’s footsteps as he hauled his person closer and closer towards Seungmin.

What awaited him on the other side was puzzling.

The room was supposed to be loud and distracting with music. In the center, Hyunjin was supposed to be dancing to some beat-heavy song and occasionally singing along, reflecting on his skin the sunlight filtering in from the window. He should have been spinning with joy, grinning and making faces as he popped and locked to the beats and melody, looking thoroughly sunkissed in the morning light. His hair should have been styled in a ponytail, following his movements like a beautiful blur of black and bronze. There was supposed to be a giant smile on his face as he motioned Seungmin to come in, apologizing for the mess that cluttered his room but not caring all the same.

But there are a few times in our lifetime where we enter a place, public or private, and be surprised that, for once, the law of averages has caved in or toppled over. Where we enter a mall fully expecting groups of people to be shopping around only to find that it had been completely deserted, no cashiers at the counters, no parents running after their too-energetic children, and no workers standing by the door to lure you into the trap of capitalism. Where we enter a bar anticipating a dark background and dim lights, only to be shocked at the bright bulbs illuminating the whole place, unlittered by empty glasses of liquor, with the pristine floors free from the stickiness of dried alcohol, and the bartender shooing you from where they stood. Where we enter a college classroom, bracing ourselves for the large number of students taking up the seats, only to find that the entire room was empty, carpeted floors clean, seats unoccupied, and the only thing alive was the constant buzz of the fluorescent lights, your confused _what?_ and the writing on the board that read “Class canceled today”.

Such occurrences are so few and far between that when they do happen, we often come to the quick conclusion that _I’m at the wrong place_ . Or _This can’t be right._ Or _Why was I not made aware?_ Or _Is this the correct address?_ But in such situations, when the law of averages has broken down, there are usually reasonable explanations as to why this was the way it was. There are generally exceptions to all rules, like how even the laws of Newtonian Physics collapse under general and special relativity as well as the quantum realm.

Such was the case for Seungmin when Hyunjin opened the door. The room was eerily silent, save for the soft breathing between them. No music, no beats or melody to bop to, just the steady rhythm of in and out. Despite the early morning, Hyunjin’s curtains were drawn closed, and with the lights off, the sun was only able to penetrate in slivers and through crevices. Everything else was dim. Hyunjin looked worse for wear, limbs loose but not relaxed, slack in that undignified and unmotivated manner. Even the trademark ponytail was absent. Instead, his hair sprayed his face in black and bronze lines. Rather than a smile, Hyunjin’s lips were left ajar, his eyes red-rimmed and puffy.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, sniffling.

“Can I come in?” Hyunjin looked unsure at Seungmin’s request, so the younger added, “Please?”

Always weak to Seungmin’s pleas, Hyunjin widened the space between himself and the door, and that was all the indication Seungmin needed before he slid through, noting how Hyunjin was careful not to get too close to him.

They made themselves comfortable on Hyunjin’s couch, sitting side by side. Despite the stillness in the air, Seungmin did not find himself at peace. The emotions inside him ran amok, quivering his hands, trembling his knees, pumping his heart and body full of nervous adrenaline. Hyunjin didn’t fare much better, tapping his feet to a nonexistent beat, but at least he ran his hands through his hair enough to make it look neat.

“What are you doing here?” He asked again.

“Well, I was rudely woken up by my roommate today. Got a scolding from him, and he got a scolding from your friend, apparently,” Seungmin admitted, his stomach twisting in knots. This could be the beginning of the end or the start of a new chapter. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding…” 

“I know,” Hyunjin broke down, interrupting him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do it. I mean I did, but not like that. I wanted to- I should have asked…”

“It’s okay. I think we both assumed the wrong thing after… uhm, that,” Seungmin assured him. Practicing the relaxation techniques came second nature to him now, he realized, as he already began clenching and unclenching his fist. Breathing deeply, he placed his hand on Hyunjin’s shoulder, a neutral spot for communication. And then, steadily so that there would be no miscommunication, Seungmin admitted, “I wanted the kiss. I wanted to kiss you last night. And I want to kiss you now.”

Seungmin wondered how Hyunjin didn’t hurt his neck with how swiftly he turned to look at him.

“You do?” 

He nodded. “Yeah. I know what you’re thinking. Why did I leave, right? Well, you started apologizing… And I thought you were saying sorry to me because you felt bad about not wanting to do what we did. Or maybe, that, you found out about my feelings and felt guilty about not being able to return it or something. I don’t know. It sounds so unreasonable saying it now…”

“That couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Hyunjin began as he captured Seungmin’s hands in his. A lock of hair had managed to escape from behind Hyunjin’s ears. On his cheek was a stray ray of light, painting it bright in the otherwise low-lit room. “I was apologizing because I realized I didn’t ask before we kissed, and I know you’re not a fan of physical contact. So I should have been more mindful about that. I thought, maybe, I violated your innocence and broke your trust or something. And then there was the issue of being intoxicated. And when you left… I figured that was more evidence of what I assumed. God, I was so sure you were angry at me, and I’ve been beating myself up over it.”

A chuckle escaped Seungmin as the ridiculousness of it all got to him. If they had both just taken their time assessing the situation, said a little more, talked a little faster, been a little more patient, they wouldn’t be in this predicament. But as such, they had messed up, but it was all in the past.

He squeezed Hyunjin’s hand. Slowly, as if asking for permission, Seungmin rested his forehead on Hyunjin’s. “We’ve both been stupid, haven’t we?”

Seungmin felt more than saw Hyunjin’s nod. As if on autopilot, his breathing became full and deep. Following a rhythmic pattern, he tensed and untensed his arm, releasing the stress that had built up inside him for however long now.

“Can I kiss you?” Hyunjin made sure to ask this time. Seungmin, as impatient as he is, did not reply. Instead, his answer was to lean in.

Life was a chain of anticlimaxes, at least until the last one. Under the dim light, in the comfort of Hyunjin’s apartment, Seungmin experienced the second of many climaxes. Eyes closing, they bridged the gap between them. Hyunjin’s lips were pillowy, felt as soft as they looked. Seungmin supposed a kiss was a hug of sorts. It felt pleasant, nice like the warmth of an embrace, and comforting like the weight of arms during a cuddle.

Heart threatening to beat out of its cage, Seungmin pulled back the same time Hyunjin did.

“How was that?” An echo of Hyunjin’s question from a lifetime ago, but this time the taller was at the receiving end of it. Hyunjin let out a breathy laugh.

“That was… not enough,” Hyunjin responded. And they lock lips again for the third time in how many hours, chasing each other’s mouths and smiling with every catch of the lips. Seconds. Minutes. Hours. All measurements of time felt the same to them as they shared their affection.

Later, when their lips have all but chapped, Seungmin and Hyunjin would migrate to the bedroom, if only to be in a more comfortable position. Today, not unlike the way he took initiative in their make-out session, Seungmin would maneuver them so that he was the big spoon.

They would play with each other’s fingers, draw lines on the other’s chests, and plant butterfly kisses on the other’s shoulders.

Hyunjin would look deep in thought, and Seungmin would hesitantly brush the elder’s long hair away and ask Hyunjin what was going on in that pretty head of his.

“Does it bother you that I’m a therapist?” Hyunjin would wonder.

“You’re not _really_ a therapist,” Seungmin would comment, poking at Hyunjin’s cheeks.

“Am too!” A pout. “I have a certificate to prove it.”

Seungmin would roll his eyes, barraging him with prods of fingers now. “You mean the one Changbin printed off some shady-looking website?”

Hyunjin would giggle, capturing Seungmin’s hand to weather the onslaught. “Fair point. I just meant… some people feel, uhm, analyzed when I try to help them.”

“And what have you analyzed about me?” Seungmin would challenge.

“That you look really good in sky blue and yellow.”

Seungmin would smack him with the pillows, and Hyunjin would engage in the pillow fight, and a few moments later, it would become a game of who could overpower the other. The prize? A kiss.

Seungmin would leave after spending hours there, feeling lighter than he had all semester. Hyunjin would hug him goodbye and kiss him on the lips. And Seungmin would reciprocate before closing the door and walking back to his apartment, the stress of work, micromanaging parents, and overloaded classes at one of Korea’s best universities all evaporating in a cloud of smoke in the shape of a satisfying hug.

He was glad he took a chance at the 1980s, weirdo-infested, color-clashing, hippie hellhole that Jeongin recommended. Seungmin supposed he had to thank his hobbit coworker for that.

Later, though. Right now, a stroll to let it all sink in sounded nice.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> Thank you for finishing my work. Please please please it would mean so much if you could give comments or kudos if you enjoyed reading it.
> 
> To the mods of the EQUINOX Seungjin Fic Fest, thank you so much! Your efforts are greatly appreciated. Hopefully, this can become a yearly thing because if it does, I will be here writing for it.
> 
> Thank you so much! Please show my work lots of love.
> 
> Some quotes were from _The Soul Thief_ by Charles Baxter.
> 
> Hug descriptions: <https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/what-s-hot/story/6-types-of-hugs-and-what-they-mean-1167589-2018-02-12>


End file.
